I started a tumblr account for all my Beatles Rock Band and remasters news and musings.

http://090909roundup.tumblr.com/

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I am embarrassingly pumped for 09-09-09: the magical date when the Beatles albums will be released as remastered stereo and mono CD box sets, plus the Rock Band game becomes available. I will be broke, but unable to stop smiling or leave my house starting on that date.

They say that the game will be a journey through the Beatles’ career — something I imagined before I heard that detail. It’s a good move that will add a ton of fun to the game. I imagine it as the tour element of Guitar Hero World tour. Different venues and places to beat in order to unlock songs.

The Journey

I see the game starting with a Quarrymen song (”Putting on the Style“, “Be-Bop-A-Lula”?), then “That’ll Be the Day” and “In Spite of All the Danger”  from Anthology as early Beatles numbers. Maybe they can throw in “My Bonnie” (Apple doesn’t own it, so it seems unlikely). What I’m most curious about is how/if they will handle Hamburg and the Cavern. I mean, how could they not build those venues into the game? Will Pete Best be portrayed in the game, and Ringo added later as in real life? So even if the same person is playing drums the whole time, their persona gets swapped out?

Aside from the Pete Best situation, the problem with all this early stuff is that the Beatles mostly did covers. I’m sure it’s a pain to get all the rights to that music, but then again I suppose MTV are pros at that. Another question is, will the early cover songs that the Beatles never recorded (though they are available on the Live at the BBC double album) be liked by the people playing the game? I know I’d love to play “Ain’t Nothing Shakin’ But the Leaves on the Tree”, but will the Guitar Hero/Rock Band gamer dude want them after purchasing a Beatles game?

Just like in real life, the Beatles will start recording after playing Hamburg and the Cavern. They could include a bit of failing the Decca audition. This part of the journey element to the game will switch quickly between recording and tours, to give a sense of urgency to the game. I wish they could include photo ops and interviews in the game to give a real sense of what life was like for Beatles then. How they dealt with failing the Decca audition and replacing Best will be exiciting to see.

They can have a lot of fun with venues, and I look forward to them recreating Studio 3 in the game. I see Shea, Sweden, France and of course English theaters being stops on tour throughout 1963-66. There were a lot of the same songs (covers, like “Twist and Shout”) were played throughout those 3 torrid years, so I wonder how they will handle duplication. It will be very interesting to go from recording Revolver to doing “She’s a Woman” live at the Budokan. I hope they also include selections their last show at Candlestick Park.

Then you’ll move into the studio full time, working on “Penny Lane” (note: not a guitar song) and “Strawberry Fields”, working up to Sgt. Pepper. I’d love to play sitar on “Within You Without You” (or even “Norwegian Wood”), but that seems unlikely. It’d be awesome if they included some acoustic versions from Anthology of the Kinfauns tapes as a tribute to their time in India. Next you’d work through to Let It Be, at Twinkenham and Apple, then up on the rooftop. Finally back to #3 to focus on Abbey Road. Then you’re finished. Unless they incorporate any solo Lennon stuff that existed before Abbey Road came out, but I doubt it. Or for a huge splash they could include a bit where you play Paul secretly buying shares of your company to gain control, then run off to Scotland to record what you’ve always wanted: a one-man-band album.

The Songs

My list of song predictions (somewhat in order) for the entire game are below the fold. Please comment and let me know what you think is missing or unlikely.

(more…)

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1 pound retro glasses
1 teaspoon men in hats
3 packages of surprisingly apt metaphor
5 cups geek humor (dry)
1 tablespoon Star Wars references
3 cups suit jackets over t-shirts
8 cups collages that cover entire slides in PowerPoint
4 cups irrelevant, non-web related content in presentations
1 tablespoon foreign languages used to label types of processes
2 pounds MacBook Pro (fresh)

Stir together geek humor, metaphor, Star Wars references, collages, irrelevant content, and foreign languages in large bowl. Let chill overnight.

Spread MacBook Pro pieces across baking sheet. Sprinkle suit jackets, hats, and retro glasses, leaving some for later. Bake for 15 minutes at 375. Then top with mixture from bowl, sprinkling remaining jackets, hats and retro glasses on top of mixture. Bake another 15 minutes at 375 until golden brown.

Yields 250 servings. A real crowd pleaser!

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I’m a big fan of renting my home. I’m not tied down, it’s fairly cheap for what I get, and I don’t have to worry about fixing stuff or doing yard work. I know there’s cons (I can’t itemize my charitable deductions or write off any money spent on housing, and I have neighbors I clearly hear on either side of me), but the pros outweigh those cons for me.

Along with those major pros, I also believe that real estate is an unstable and scary investment and that buying a house is an inflated, falsified American Dream (TM). I’ve been saying this for years, occasionally spotting articles to lightly back up my argument, but I’ve finally found the real deal.

The March issue of The Atlantic includes a highly readable article about how the American landscape will change after the recession. Near the end of the artcle, author Richard Florida provides some ideas on how to wade through the economic mess.

His solution begins with increasing the number of people renting.

So how do we move past the bubble, the crash, and an aging, obsolescent model of economic life? What’s the right spatial fix for the economy today, and how do we achieve it?

The solution begins with the removal of homeownership from its long-privileged place at the center of the U.S. economy. Substantial incentives for homeownership (from tax breaks to artificially low mortgage-interest rates) distort demand, encouraging people to buy bigger houses than they otherwise would. That means less spending on medical technology, or software, or alternative energy—the sectors and products that could drive U.S. growth and exports in the coming years. Artificial demand for bigger houses also skews residential patterns, leading to excessive low-density suburban growth. The measures that prop up this demand should be eliminated.

If anything, our government policies should encourage renting, not buying. Homeownership occupies a central place in the American Dream primarily because decades of policy have put it there. A recent study by Grace Wong, an economist at the Wharton School of Business, shows that, controlling for income and demographics, homeowners are no happier than renters, nor do they report lower levels of stress or higher levels of self-esteem.

And while homeownership has some social benefits—a higher level of civic engagement is one—it is costly to the economy. The economist Andrew Oswald has demonstrated that in both the United States and Europe, those places with higher homeownership rates also suffer from higher unemployment. Homeownership, Oswald found, is a more important predictor of unemployment than rates of unionization or the generosity of welfare benefits. Too often, it ties people to declining or blighted locations, and forces them into work—if they can find it—that is a poor match for their interests and abilities.

The author hits the nail hard, hopefully loud enough for 20 and 30-somethings to hear before they buy their first place.

You might ask, “But what about families with four or five kids – how can they live in apartments?”

I would respond with “Don’t have so damn many kids” and ensure condoms are freely distributed in more places. But Mr. Florida has a more suitable idea:

Instead of resisting foreclosures, the government should seek to facilitate them in ways that can minimize pain and disruption. Banks that take back homes, for instance, could be required to offer to rent each home to the previous homeowner, at market rates—which are typically lower than mortgage payments—for some number of years. (At the end of that period, the former homeowner could be given the option to repurchase the home at the prevailing market price.) A bigger, healthier rental market, with more choices, would make renting a more attractive option for many people; it would also make the economy as a whole more flexible and responsive.

I feel more than justified. I feel RIGHT.

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I recently came across this job posting for an Administrative Assistant. Now I feel even worse for laid off people who are looking for jobs. My commentary appears in italics.

Responsibilities

• Provides analytical and specialized administrative support to relieve executive, administrative, and line and staff managers of complex details and advanced administrative duties.

I’m not quite sure where to begin with this one. What kind of specialized support? Like a call girl? If the position is to relieve everyone above the new person of “complex details”, what is left for the higher ups to do? Or is this admin actually above executives? Does “advanced administrative duties” include ass-wiping?

• Executes special or continuous research and data analysis tasks.

So, it’s either special or continuous, not both. Can do special, but not continuous? Go ahead and apply.

• Analyzes problems, determines approach, compiles and analyzes data, and prepares reports/recommendations.

Third time “analysis” has been mentioned in as many bullets. Is this an Admin Assistant, or a Business Analyst? Or maybe a DBA.

• Coordinates activities between departments and outside parties.

• Contacts company personnel at all organizational levels to gather information and prepare reports.

Finally, some real, traditional Admin Assistant responsibilities.

• Work is generally of a critical or confidential nature.

How is that a responsibility? Try: “Produce work of a critical or confidential nature.”

Qualifications:

Experience

• Strong Computer skills – MS Office

I understand there is an argument to be made for capitalizing Internet or Web, but “Computer” has never been an option.

• Ability to learn, understand and introduce new ideas into new tasks

They don’t want anyone who cannot “learn” or “understand”. So, retards need not apply, but maybe dogs can. But what about introducing new ideas into old tasks?

• Must have the ability to multi-task in a fast paced environment

No shit – every job description says that.

• Effective Communication and Organization Skills

Is capitalizing for emphasis Needed experience for job posters?

• Marketing, sales, account management, project management experience are all a benefit.

This is sounding less and less like an Administrative Assistant. Maybe they want an ex-PM who has now decided her true calling is admin work. They must want to hire someone very cheaply to wipe asses and do everyone else’s job while they go have lunch on the company’s dime.

• In-depth knowledge of client facing [employer] systems is a plus

So, you want to hire internally? What if it’s a proprietary system you’d only know if you were a client?

• Independent, self-motivated, and success driven. Technical aptitude

Obviously you’d have to be success driven to apply for this Admin Assistant/Project Manager/Ass-wiper. You’d be movin’ on up in no time!

Education

• College Degree or applicable experience preferred

So, your preference is no preference between college degree and applicable experience.

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Well, here we are. The season for good films has come and gone already. The Oscars are on Sunday, and although I’m excited, I can’t say what I’m excited for exactly. Hardly any films really captured me this year. But here’s a few that did.

The Visitor

As I already blogged, I thought this movie was amazing. I literally yelped with glee when I found out he was nominated — I wanted him to be recognized so badly. What a beautiful, subtle, and understated performance that too few big name actors could give. I watched it with my mom, and she called it the best movie she’s seen in a long time. I found a few holes in the plot upon my second watching, but I can look past that for such an original script.

Man on Wire

If it hadn’t actually happened, I’d never believe it. Whenever I stumble a little or lose my balance a bit, I think of Philippe Petit on the wire between the Twin Towers. How could he do it? It’s a glorious story with great meaning for so many reasons. Philippe Petit is absolutely crazy, but I’m thankful for his craziness.

John Adams

Though not a theatatrically realeased film, it’s the one that affected me the most. It’s astoundingly accurate, and Paul Giamati has won my respect once again for his brilliant performance. I hope he gets more roles like this…it reminded me of how good he was in American Splendor.

The Dark Knight

I actually forgot how much I enjoyed it at the time. It hasn’t held up for me mentally like the other three films above. I’m not a superhero girl at all, but this one and Batman Begins were really fantastic portrayals of that genre. I don’t think it should have been nominated for best picture, and I think any argument for such is pretty lame. It’s a great movie played by excellent actors, but it’s still basically an action/adventure film with more emotion than the average action/adventure film.

I’ve seen all but one of the best picture nominees, Frost/Nixon, though I plan to see it tomorrow. I’ve seen almost all the other acting nominees, except Doubt, The Wrestler, Frozen River, and Rachel Getting Married.

I assume the highly overrated Slumdog Millionaire will win it all. If the film hadn’t included the far-fetched love story, I would have liked it better. I also feel like it’s become the token foreign film for a lot of people.

Here’s the rest of my Oscar picks/wants.

Best Picture:

Pick – Slumdog Millionaire

Want – I really don’t care, but I guess Milk right now

Leading Actor:

Pick – Sean Penn. Sorry Mickey, but I think your “welcome back” was the Golden Globe

Want – Sean Penn or Richard Jenkins, but he obviously won’t get it

Leading Actress:

Pick – Anne Hathaway or Melissa Leo. I fully expect a surprise in this category since nobody wants to choose between Meryl and Kate

Want – I can’t say cuz I’ve only seen  The Reader, and I don’t think Kate deserves it

Screenplay, Original:

Original screenplays are always an important thing I look at. I’m a real critic of dialog, which is funny considering that my pick has hardly any.

Pick – Wall-e

Want – Wall-e, though I can’t say for sure since the only other one I’ve seen is Milk, which I don’t think should be in this category. Wall-e wasn’t perfect, but it was very original.

What are you picks? Who got snubbed?

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This week I finally broke free from cable TV. I bought a nice antenna, upgraded my Tivo, and decided to ditch cable since 90% of what I watch isn’t on it. I don’t care for reality TV and don’t get a kick out of watching other people make fools of themselves whilst drunk. At least not on TV I have to pay for.

I thought canceling cable with Comcast might be easy. I also thought it might interrupt my internet service, also purchased through Comcast. [After all, I had experience to back up this theory. My first cell phone was through Qwest. When I called to cancel my Qwest land line, the CS rep also canceled my cell phone. I had to call them back from a payphone in Perkins.]

The CS rep canceling my Comcast “video service”, as they like to call it, was very friendly and did not pressure me into anything. She warned me that my internet price would go up $15 since I was not bundling with another service any longer. Although the pricing is beyond unfair, I stuck to my guns.

A couple minutes after hanging up with Comcast, I went to my computer. My internet was down. I did all the things the reps have you do when you call in for help, but nothing worked. I knew it was something on their end. I wasn’t getting a signal from the wall jack. The nice lady fucked up my account.

So I called back. Unsurprisingly, the rep had me try all the stuff I’d already tried. I told her that everything worked until my video was canceled, but it fell on deaf ears. Instead, she had me turn off my antivirus. She insisted that she was sending signals to my modem. I told her that the correct lights were not on. Again, she ignored my information.

She continued to tell me that the last course of action will be to send someone out. I was fine with that because I figured at least that person might have a brain capable of listening and making intelligent decisions based on the information provided. I asked if I’d have to pay for the visit and she says that yes, there is a $24 fee. I insisted that I was not paying for a visit for a problem caused on their end. We went back and forth for a bit, then she graciously granted me a free month of the service plan so the tech visit would be free for me.

The next day, I tweeted about my issue to @comcastcares. Just a few minutes later, I received the following reply:

i apologize please emial we_can_help@cable.comcast.com your experience so we can not make this happen again.

Despite the horrible typos, I sent a message explaining everything I wrote above. I received a reply quite quickly. I emailed back and forth with Bonnie in her pink font and typos galore. She asked some good questions and pretty much admitted Comcast’s fault in the matter.

Little did I know that Bonnie escalated my ticket to Deb at the local Comcast office, who left me two voicemails in the afternoon. I don’t even remember what the first one said, but the second one said that she changed something on my account and can now get a signal to my modem. She asked that I call her back at a special number (not the number on the caller ID). I got home, futzed with the modem a bit, and miraculously got a signal. My internet was back up, as good as ever.

I called the special number (a line just for local escalations, from what I could tell) and got some dude. I said my name and explained why I was calling and the dude said, “Oh yes, Deb told me about you. I’m glad to hear everything works now.”

The moral of this story is clear. Actually, there are two morals.

1. Comcast needs smarter CS reps who actively listen and make smart decisions based on what the customer is saying instead of trying to fit everything into a troubleshooting tree. If they aren’t tech savvy, fire them. One size does not fit all when it comes to tech issue resolution.

2. To get Comcast’s attention, all you got to do is tweet about it. Set up a Twitter account now, Comcast customers, just in case you ever need to bitch about them. Comcast is obviously aware of their poor image enough to know that they can curb issues quickly via social networking sites. Now they just need to see the patterns in these issues, and turn them into information to improve their customer service.

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There are several things wrong with this ad:

1. The headline mentions Bush but the animated gif is of a dancing Obama.
2. Is Obama’s head in front of the latest Death Cab album?
3. Are the creators of this ad unaware of the global financial crisis?
4. I see a lot of ads online that mention the city I live in. Yet here I’d have to select my state. Hello, targeted advertising.
5. “Here” is unnecessarily capitalized in the last sentence of the paragraph.

Have I missed any?

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And now, the final installment of the Greats of 2008 series.

Greats of 2008 Soundtrack

For the past two years, I’ve made a mix CD for friends featuring my favorite music of the past year. It’s not always songs from my favorite albums, but they are songs that I consistently rewound for second or third plays in a row. Here’s what made the cut this year.

No One Does It Like You – Department of Eagles: Best song of the year for me — absolutely no doubt.

Call It A Ritual – Wolf Parade: I love all the different ways he says the title. His enunciation intrigues me.

Modern Guilt – Beck: Lots of really great ditties on that album, and some so-so ones. I love the beat and the little electronic blips on this track. And of course I dig the 60s vibe.

Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur – Sigur Ros: Yes, they can be FUN!

The Re-arranger – Mates of State: Possibly my second favorite song of the year. A late find for me. I’m so glad they stopped shouting because they can make really beautiful music.

Two Ways – The 1900s: This is a version from Daytrotter that was recorded in February, though I think the song is from 2007. No matter, it’s a brilliant one.

Oxford Comma – Vampire Weekend: I hated this song at first because I thought “Who gives a fuck about an Oxford Comma” was a stupid way to open a song. It is still, but the rest of the rich melody makes up for it. I love how he sings “put the chap stick on your lips”.

California Girls – The Magnetic Fields: I mainly included this song because I completely agree with its thesis.

Don’t Do Anything – Sam Phillips: Another favorite song of the year for me. It contains all that I love about songs as an artform — simplicity usually wins.

Weather to Fly – Elbow: I don’t like the beginning of this song, but I love how he goes “perfect weather to fly” then immediately follows it with another “weather to fly” sung higher in this almost churchly fashion. It’s like when you first hear a Brit say something but it sounds like they’re asking a question, because they end on a higher note. Love it.

Flume – Bon Iver: For some reason “Skinny Love” became everyone’s fave off the album, but the first track is the killer for me. I’m a sucker for weird droney feedbacky sounds.

Tiger Mountain Pleasant Song – Fleet Foxes: I mean, seriously. If this song isn’t entered in a time capsule for 2008, I’ll cry.

Among the Pines – A.A. Bondy: Another Daytrotter session. I’m not sure when this originally came out, but I think this Dylan wannabe has a lot of talent. No matter what all the mean, old folks at the Bondy/Heartless Bastards show said.

Acid Tongue – Jenny Lewis: I rarely fully memorize songs any more, mostly because I don’t understand lyrics very well and I don’t bother sitting down with the lyric book like I did in high school. But this one stuck to me right away, and I’m happy for that.

Librarian – My Morning Jacket: This song is about me and my kind. And I think it’s sexy when he says “duck into the men’s room” even though it’s probably the worst part of the song.

Sing the Changes – The Fireman: Just give it a try. I can say no more.

Sentimental Heart – She & Him: Yeah, everyone needs a little folk bubble gum on a mix CD. The version I included is actually a live take from somewhere, but you can’t even tell.

Happy Holidays!

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Here we are at last – my favorite music of 2008. Like one of my comrades in music inspection, this was a hard one. I think it was a great year for music, in the sense that I liked and purchased a lot of albums. More than any other year, probably. But there were no real stand out obvious choices, except for my top one. But even then, it wasn’t like Sufjan Stevens or Midlake where I listened to the album every day and memorized the whole thing. Or maybe I’m just too old for that now.

10. Wolf Parade – At Mount Zoomer: Although I’ve hardly listened to the second half of this album, the songs that are good are really innovative, and deserve recognition here. [For whatever that's worth.] I never paid attention to this band until I heard “Call It a Ritual” with its off-kilter piano this year and immediately loved it. These guys make great hooks with a mean guitar. I listened to Apologies to the Queen Mary to make up for lost time, but it felt empty to me. Still, I predict that Wolf Parade have a long and varied career.

9. Bob Dylan – Tell Tale Signs, The Bootleg Series Vol. 8: The last decade or so of Dylan’s career has seen a resurgence of his talent finally. Was it really gone or was he just putting his energy into something none of us understood (his Christianity and desire for shitty production)? Anyway, this set makes his voice sound great and showcases his amazing band. They are so tight, which from what I understand, is diffcult to do with Dylan. Greatest songwriter ever, so shutup you hipster haters.

8.  Sam Phillips – Don’t Do Anything: I’d never heard of this chick until Bob Boilen was gabbing about her Tiny Desk Concert at NPR. From what I read, I thought I wouldn’t be interested, but my gut told me to give it a try. Boy am I glad I have a smart gut. The sound of this album is really surprising — it’s just as full of distortion as the Magnetic Fields were in January, and the songwriting is almost of equal caliber. This was my biggest, and happiest, surprise of 2008 for sure. She’s certainly not for the hardcore hipsters though.

7. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend: To be fair, I’d probably put this one higher if not for all the hype and subsequent backlash. Yeah, I can ride a bandwagon with the best of ‘em. But really, this is a clever album with sounds pop music hasn’t heard since Paul Simon’s Graceland. I’m hoping they’ll grow up with their next album, stop talking about the east coast and college, and even ditch the Afropop. They’ve got real potential. But they’ll probably just break up. Or pretend not to like The Strokes.

6.  Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue: She does it again, though in an only slightly less country way. She’s sly with her songs — you really need to pay attention. Ditch Rilo Kiley, Jenny, you’re better without them.

5. Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid: This was my favorite album for a really long time, and I’m glad it won the Mercury Prize. But then suddenly all the sentimentality lost its luster, and I think a lot of it had to do with the totally lame video for “The Bones of You“, an otherwise brilliant song. Now I’m turned off by it, but I predict that it will become meaningful again in the future.

4. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago: I already included this in my Lists of 2007, but it deserves another highlight here. I’m so happy that Justin Vernon has made such a splash around the world with this gorgeous album. MOJO even interviewed him at home in Eau Claire (where I lived during college for 4.5 years)! And he’s following it up with an EP next month, so keep your ears peeled.

3.  Department of Eagles – In Ear Park: I can’t understand why this album is missing from so many lists this year. I’ve liked Grizzly Bear (both featuring Daniel Rossen), but never got as obsessed with Yellow House or Friend as I did this one. The soundscape on this album is miraculous. It’s what Brian Wilson wished That Lucky Old Sun could sound like. Heavenly…

2. My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges: Screw you, haters of this album. I love that the sounds are all over the place. I love that it’s overproduced in spots (that’s the only time you’ll ever hear me say that). I love the proggy sound (again, that’s the only time you’ll hear me say that). This album had nothing going for it in terms of my musical taste. But every song is amazing because Jim James knows how to sing, play guitar, and write fine songs. It’s as simple as that. It’s the Revolver of 2008. I hope MMJ make their Sgt Pepper next year.

1. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes & Sun Giant [EP]: Best newish band of the year. Best live act for me. Best songs. Part Shins, part Midlake, all Northwest, pastoral, bearded goodness. While I was in Oregon earlier this year, driving through deep woods, my mind’s soundtrack kept repeating “White Winter Hymnal“. Absolutely perfect.

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