Urban Decay

I recently watched Michael Moore's "Roger & Me" which chronicled Moore's many humorous attempts at gaining an interview with then General Motors CEO Roger Smith. The documentary depicts Smith's total incompetence and irrational mindset in managing the fast-declining auto giant. Along the way we get to see the various laid-off employees being evicted from their homes. Even back then in 1989 it was clearly obvious that Flint, Michigan and Detroit, by extension was in a state of decline. Trash-filled streets, boarded-up homes and businesses-it was all there for the world to see. Was it always like that? What factors contributed to these cities-Detroit and Flint-becoming ghettos? The most obvious factors responsible for the creation of ghettos are: Rent control, welfare, zoning laws, non-diversified economies, and questionable programs such as the Community Reinvestment Act.

I associate the word "ghetto" with cities like Philadelphia, Newark, Baltimore, Detroit and Cleveland. Clearly these places have seen better days. White flight was usually the reason given for these cities' falling into disrepair. It was theorized that white folk fled to the suburbs to escape the soaring crime rate, the noisy neighbors and the lack of a suitable golf course. When the pattern is reversed gentrification occurs-white folk swoop in to the slums and buy up all the properties for pennies on the dollar and in the process force out all the poorer tenants who cannot afford the higher rents. In this respect rent controls serve to limit reinvestment and improvement upon residential properties. A landlord would be foolish to spend sizable funds maintaining and upgrading property knowing that he could not recoup his investment as a result of rent controls. Where rent controls are in place properties usually fall into disrepair.

Public welfare, if misused, can cripple the individual's desire to attain a better education and a higher station in life. In Great Britain, for example, whole families for several generations subsist entirely on government subsidies. Apparently there is no stigma attached to being unemployed and shiftless. Several years ago I took a trip with a friend to New Orleans (before Katrina)a few days before MardiGras. We drove around and saw all the touristy destinations-the mausoleums, the French Quarter, the bars and restaurants... My friend then casually informed me that practically everyone in Louisiana was on welfare, corrupt, and constantly scheming for a way to cheat the government, if not his fellow citizens. I was astonished by his comments but unfortunately they were corroborated by other long-time residents who I knew casually. The universal advice, however, was to never, under any circumstances, trust the Louisiana Police.

The reason that is usually offered for Detroit's descent into poverty is its over-reliance on the auto industry for economic stability. The fault lies at the feet of the urban planners and politicians. Any high-school graduate is smart enough to know not to place all of his eggs in one basket. The obvious answer here is diversity in the commercial sectors-it is all very clear in hindsight. The city leaders in Detroit should have offered tax breaks to other promising industries, similar to the way being offered to hybrid automobiles and solar panel manufacturers. The economic incentives must be designed to function like an economic magnet that draws in new industries. In this manner a city can create a brain pool and it can develop a multitude of areas where it demonstrates expertise and excellence. We saw this when all the PC makers and various dot com startups flocked to San Francisco-all of a sudden it was the place to be if one endeavored to raise capital and exploit the power of the internet. The local economy flourished, tax revenues increased and everyone was basically happy (well, at least until the dot com meltdown).

Life Goes On

Well, the semester's over-thank God! A much-deserved break is in order; catch up on my sleep, drink more coffee, return some phone calls. A return to laid-back productivity will be the theme. Cooking skills will be upgraded, of course. The Bachelor's life is all about avoiding ramen noodles for as long as possible. But we all have them in our pantry-our backup plan.

Guitar-playing will receive more attention as will the occasional painting. I'll have to be careful with the singing, however. I believe my singing might've driven one of my neighbors to move-that and a large dog that growled at everyone. You can't blame me for singing Neil Diamond songs at one in the morning. Life is funny like that.

Don't smooth out the edges.

Photo Time Again

 Playing music in the park with my pals-does it get any better?

I've been too lazy to upload an "actual" post. Everyone loves fotos(preferred spelling) don't they? What are you waiting for? Let's take a quick trip...Merry Christmas, by the way.

Essential Tools for Starting and Maintaining a Small Business

We believe that there are three factors that drive the success of small businesses.

1) Acquiring start-up capital
2) Finding customers
3) Accounting for, budgeting and controlling sales and expenses

The following resources will help your small business achieve these success factors.

Acquiring Start-Up Capital

An adequate supply of capital is essential as many profitable businesses fail because they don’t have enough cash to pay their employees and suppliers. But what is an adequate supply of capital? The only way to tell is by doing a significant amount of research on your potential market and formally documenting this in a business plan. I’m sure you know that a business plan is a very important document that is crucial to convincing your banker to lend you money.

There are two ways to obtain a business plan.

1) Do it yourself by amending a business plan template, or
2) Hire a professional to do it for you.

Obviously obtain 1) will be a great deal cheaper.

Our research led to a website that has over 60 high quality and free business plan templates. We also found a directory that you can use to easily find a business plan writer in your city – where ever you live in the world.

Finding Customers

Finding customers is a difficult and expensive task for service business owners such as accountants, lawyers and plumbers. We believe that a cost effective marketing strategy for service business owners is to simply give all their personal contacts a few business cards.

Our research led to a few websites that have pre-designed business card templates. We felt that the diversity and quality of these designs was outstanding. In addition, we found that you can obtain a significant saving by finding a printing service on the Internet. We found that you could get 2,000 full color business cards for as little as US $150.

Accounting For, Budgeting and Controlling Revenue and Expenses

Accurate accounting is very important for small business owners. It’s essential that you have timely access to information that could make or break your business. If stocks are running low – you need to know about it. If a large proportion of your debtors haven’t paid – you need to know about it. If you do not react to these situations quickly you may have a situation where you don’t have enough money to pay your employees – or worse still someone is stealing cash out the till.

Our research led to a website that compares and reviews top accounting software for small businesses. The cheapest software cost US $89.99 and the most expensive software cost US $1,499. It was interesting to note that the top 3 ranked websites were not the most expensive and cost between US $250 - US $300.

Hopefully you now have an idea of some of the tools that you can use to grow and maintain your small business.

The Importance of a Positive Attitude

High unemployment. The Recession. Inflation and flat wages. Police brutality. Mass media lies and deception.The country's surely gone to the dogs. Maximilian Robespierre would surely be pleased.

Where does the answer lie? The leaders, from the smallest to the greatest, are self-serving tyrants with a never-ending thirst for bribes and ill-gotten funds. Criminals with tacky suits that would murder if only they could elude discovery. Or the Kennedys. Government officials live like royalty while the rest of the nation suffers. The author has no faith in the godless,corrupt leaders who are no better than used car salesmen. These evil men are accursed-the type of individuals that one crosses the street to avoid. During the French revolution well over a thousand government officials were hung, beheaded or otherwise executed. Start with the Fed, the bankers, Wall Street, the entire George W. Bush administration.

 Meanwhile, the major cities are overrun by large gangs of unemployed street-urchin rabble: young men(mostly black) that are forever frozen out of government assistance or jobs due to a criminal record. What will be done with these millions? Will they be forever idled and left to their own devices or to a life of crime while living in the shadows? The government takes no interest in the potential of these youth, it sees no value or otherwise redeeming attributes. A second tier of citizenship is hereby proposed whereby these gentlemen can regain their good standing in order to contribute to society once again. A program similar to a boot camp would retrain and instill discipline to the wayward youth. The weight of the government is too heavy for the people.

Electronics Overkill

Nowadays the media continually hypes the latest electronic gadgets 24-7. The focus is primarily on computers and phones-the fastest, shiniest, smoothest devices.  Everything else takes a back seat. But of course obsolescence is always lurking around the corner-this author still maintains a closet full of obsolete computers, cameras, laptops, routers etc.,.

It's too bad most people are forced to set aside their once-favored phones and cameras merely because they switched/upgraded their devices. What if there was a way to upgrade these devices? I was gently surprised by this excellent idea from our friends at Amazon. They just launched a program where folks can trade-in their cameras, smartphones etc.,. I'll revisit this topic very shortly. Go check them out.

 This means gearheads everywhere can always sleep safe in the knowledge that their gear is up to date. Perhaps the author can ship a box overstuffed with old cameras and computers. A bill would arrive shortly, no doubt.

GOOGLE FAIL

Google Analytics. Adsense. Both are owned by Google and yet the installation of their software into the Blogger platform is an exercise in futility. Google deserves yet another big thumbs down for their inefficiencies. The author previously awarded it the ignoble prize for its ill-conceived Maps. The installation of key components of software should comprise a more symmetrical experience. Take a twenty point deduction Google.

Unfortunately, as a postscript, the installation of the software components proved to be a fiasco. A humble writer, yes. But unfortunately a software engineer, no. Is the griping justified, then? Unfortunately, only rarely is the author forced to confront ever-present computer limitations. Perhaps skipping those boring computer science classes in order to shoot hoops was not such a good idea, eh? Personal responsibility vs. the Google colossus.

Google gets a rap on the knuckles for the incongruity among its  products. The consumer should only need to click on a handful of variables and presto-installation is complete.  GOOGLE FAIL.

(Knee) Defender

 

We live in difficult times. Mass poverty has produced a nation of perpetual grumps who will fly off the handle in a matter of seconds. And now a hare-brained inventor is going to compound the misery for everyone else. His invention prevents the offending seat from fully reclining. Fantastic! Conversely, the airlines should install wrestling mats and let the quarreling parties go at it in no-holds-barred matches. In-flight entertainment deluxo!

What's happened to the world? Has it become a planet full of Grumps? Where is the tolerance and the live-and-let live attitude? The Grumps should relax by scavenging their vintage/pawn shops for classic video games like Midway's Defender. Warm memories will bubble to the surface. Classic. Any disagreement will be easily resolved with such a game. Bragging rights will be an added bonus.

Stop this pettiness and get on with helping our fellow man. Tough times require Good People to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. No one has time for small arguments and childish disagreements. Knee Defender....(sigh). Truthfully, those airline seats should never recline as far as they do. The author has been subject to inconsiderate passengers as well(and at a height of 6'2, no less). A tolerant nature and a thick skin ensured flights without incidents.

 Passengers have long become accustomed to being packed like sardines into a shabby aluminum can. It's hard to believe that flying used to a pleasurable experience that was reserved for the affluent and well-to-do. There were no TSA agents fondling children or the elderly back then.

Instead of Knee Defender...Midway Defender. Resolve disagreements through spirited challenges in Centipes, Ms. Pacman, Asteroids, etc.,. Good-natured competition is the antidote for petty disagreements.

Make sure to explore the rest of the blog for a further discussion on health, fitness, diabetes prevention, the Grumpiness Index, and the status of Fine Arts, the decline of the Empire. New material is being posted every day as inspiration strikes. Occasionally widgets and banners will appear and disappear, text will appear out of place. A work in progress is in effect and a refined product will result shortly. All readers are invited to read, comment and offer suggestions. Defender. Defend her.

How to Record Your Band

With some careful planning you too can record your rock band. You can become the Rockstar that you've always wanted to be. 

There are few things more rewarding or more stressful than seeing your music gradually come together in the studio. It's the greatest feeling in the world being able to hand anyone a cd while imploring them to "check out my band." The sense of accomplishment is very powerful. Recording is a key area where a rock band can really hone its chops and demonstrate its songs to best advantage. 

But before the band can walk the red carpet and parade its platinum records, it must spend a good while in the studio. 

It should be noted here that a studio can be any place that the band feels best captures its vibe-it doesn't have to be The Record Plant or Sugarhill Studios. With all the advances being made in recording software, soundcards and peripheral devices, it becomes completely possible to realize professional results within the confines of the group’s living room. 

Where do we begin? Before we begin, one person in the band will typically become the designated recording engineer/producer. This person will usually be the most knowledgeable about recording, comparatively speaking, that is. This role defaults to the keyboardist 99.9% of the time. Why? Keyboardists have become used to reading endless manuals on midi, keyboards, modular synths, recording software and the list goes on. These gentlemen are most often the most musically accomplished chaps in the band. Naturally they wind up doing all the grimy recording, mastering, tweaking etc.,. Nevertheless, before we even begin to think about recording we must do the following:

1. Instruct the drummer to replace all the drum heads, to tune them and to sufficiently lubricate all the moving parts of the kick drum pedal and the hi-hat. There's nothing more annoying than having a perfectly good drum take being ruined by a squeaky kick drum pedal. 
2. Instruct the bassist and the guitarist(s) to restring their instruments and to sufficiently break them in so that they stay in tune during the recording sessions. Also, have the guitarists replace the batteries on their pedals, and the tubes on their amps where necessary.
3. Instruct the keyboardist/programmer to finalize his midi patches/sequences and ask how many tracks he will require for his associated gear-keyboards, samplers, drum machines.
4. Discuss the choice of microphones with the vocalist, if possible. This is where experimentation is critical. The vocalist may use a Shure sm58 by habit but he might be surprised by the results of singing through an Oktava, for example. It's important to note here that most recording hobbyists will not have access to a Neumann U87 or other high-end professional tube mics; they'll typically employ Shure sm58s and 57s, Oktava, Audio Technica, and AKG microphones.
5. Finally and most importantly, in our new capacity as recording engineers we instruct the band to methodically rehearse the songs that it intends to record. The band can be proactive here-it can record all its rehearsal sessions and discuss what needs more work after collectively listening to the performances. 

After all these steps are followed the band will be ready to step into the studio and record its soon-to-be chart-topping songs(hopefully). We proceed to have the drummer set up his kit in a sound-proof room (relatively speaking). We place foam and/or plush carpeting on all the walls so as to prevent sound waves from reflecting and bouncing all over the place-we want to avoid phase cancellation. 

Next we place an appropriate kick drum mic( AKG D112 or Rode NT1, NT2 etc.) inside the kick drum along with an oversized pillow. We then proceed to place two overhead mics (Left and Right) and we angle them downward so that they can capture the sound of the toms. The choice of overheads is as endless as the stars in the sky but you really can't go wrong using a pair of Rode NT1s or NT2s. They're that good. For the snare we can use our workhorse Shure sm57. With this setup the drumkit is pretty much covered although I'm sure the purists will always clamor for more mics. 

Next we move on to record the bass guitar-a relatively straightforward affair, comparatively speaking. Most bass amps, thankfully, offer a plethora of options when it comes to recording the bass signal. Usually we'll have a direct out, a cabinet simulator and a pre and post eq output. This is all pretty cool because as recording engineers we always want options. The standard procedure for a lot of producers is to route the direct out from the bass amp into high end preamps such as an Avalon, Universal Audio and Focusrite. We will place a full-range mic (Electro Voice RE 20) directly in front of the speaker cone, off-axis and about 2-3 inches back from the speaker. 

We will position 3 microphones on the speaker. Why?  We achieve the ideal eq curve from the mics and not from the mixer or the various plug-ins. In this manner if we require a sharper attack we raise the gain on the mic directly in front of the speaker and if we require more bass we attenuate this same mic and increase the gain on the off-axis mic. 

We set up to record the guitars in a similar fashion as we recorded the bass. This means that we look for pre-amp outputs and cabinet simulators on the back of the guitar amps. Ideally we record the direct outs AND the signals from the microphones.

 In the past this was not always possible because after a while you started running out of tracks but nowadays this is no longer a consideration, thankfully. One of the key things in recording amps is having another bandmate as a second engineer to move the mics around in order to achieve the "right" sound. 

Recording keyboards is a pretty simple affair-keyboardists always insist on a surplus of inputs. As long as inputs are available for them (along with a click-track or SMPTE timecode) then they're pretty happy. 

We now focus on the vocals. This is where patience is the name of the game. This is where we experiment with all the mics and preamps at our disposal unless the vocalist has a stated preference. We'll usually instruct the singer to stand and sing upwards into the mic-the mic being placed 3-4 inches above the vocalist's head. This position allows the mic to capture the maximum power and projection of the voice-this is the ideal position. 

Standard procedure dictates that condenser microphones will be used. Condenser mics are ideal here-they pick up all the nuances of the vocalist's voice. Dynamic mics, by contrast are designed to be solid, tough and roadworthy performers. Suitable microphones are: Electro Voice RE20( a dynamc mic), AKG 414, AKGC3000, Rode NT1, NT2 and even our old pal, the Shure Beta sm58. Another important aspect of recording vocals is utilizing a decent mic preamp. Some solid performers here would be ART, Presonous and M-Audio. You don't have to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a decent mic preamp-you can achieve professional results with the aforementioned brands.

After we finish recording our tracks we then turn them over to a mixdown engineer-a new set of ears, hopefully. If the same people will be involved in the mixdown process it is ideal to take a few days off-a necessary breather. The ideal circumstance here is for someone with fresh ears to listen to the mix and make corrections wherever anomalies are present. This person, a producer typically, will instruct the engineer on the choice of compressors, time-domain effects(reverbs, delays), Autotune, plug-ins etc.,. 

This situation is typical with a signed band. In most small recording studios the engineer will finalize the recording project and the results will usually be good enough to help a record label decide whether or not it wants to invest in the band. This topic will be discussed in more detail in another installment. 

Home Training vs. Joining a Gym

The allure of modern gyms can be hard to resist, no? What are the pros and cons? Let us examine the obvious disadvantages of gym membership. One of the biggest drawbacks of training at a commercial gym is the time required to drive to the gym. Sometimes one spends more time driving to the gym than actually working out. Next on the list is the money spent on gas. And let's not discuss the sizable down payments that some gyms require, not to mention the monthly dues... It quickly becomes obvious that it is totally possible to spend close to $1,000 a year or more on the associated gym fees and the fuel expense. For many the sum is exorbitant, especially in the recessionary environment. What to do then?


The obvious answer  is to build a home gym. A small amount of research and price comparison will be necessary, to be sure. Often the devoted trainee will cobble together a gym, gradually adding equipment as his knowledge and development increase. A sensible approach. Consequently, it becomes unnecessary to run out and purchase  an expensive new-fangled home gym behemoth. Better to be content with incremental improvement.


The trainee in time will realize gradual but definite improvement in his/her fitness goals. At this juncture new equipment will most likely re-enter the picture. The object of desire will consist of a dumbell rack with weights ranging from ten pounds all the way up to the big hundreds. The plot thickens. Not surprisingly, most home gyms reside in the basement or the garage, or the mancave.


What is the significnce? Is it sheer lunacy spending several hundreds of dollars on assorted gym implements? It's a hell of a way to impress your pals at the Lodge, that's for sure. The purchase of new equipment can often(not always, though) lead to more consistent usage and a higher level of fitness as a result. Bragging rights will be an added bonus.


The biggest disadvantage of owning a home gym is the necessity of periodically moving the equipment if the lifter is an apartment dweller. This is a non-issue for home owners (lucky bastards!).  It's no fun climbing a flight of stairs with a 130 lb. barbell on your shoulders...several times. Thankfully, it isn't too difficult to trick friends and family into helping with most moves. Usually.


Another big disadvantage of training alone in one's home gym is the lack of a spotter. This is probably why serious weightlifters always join a gym. A training partner who's really pumped up about lifting will usually bring out the best in the fitness enthusiast. If your partner is benching 3 plates and you're only able to press 2, there's a pretty good chance that you'll close the gap shortly. Also, you can pick up alot of advanced training methods at a commercial gym and increase your progress as a result.


The home trainee will have to be informed, disciplined and highly motivated if he desires to extract maximum utility from his equipment. Otherwise the equipment will become a not-so-gentle reminder of a bad investment. Many devotees have thoughtlessly purchased ab rollers, medicine balls, soloflexes etc., with the intention of acquiring that six-pack just in time for summer. The devices eventually end up collecting dust in the closet or in the garage. All can be avoided with a little bit of follow-through and discipline.


Money  spent on a home gym is a great investment. A trip to the local gym will add variety to be sure. Unfortunately commercial gyms are packed like sardines from 5-10 pm. Upper body anything will be out of the question. It seems hopeless. Unless  training lower body, that is. Very few people are inclined to perform any lower body exercises. They'll learn.


Join a gym or train at home? Train at home, hands down. The great thing about it is that one could build the gym gradually. Dumbells were procured ranging from 20 lbs. to 60 lbs. More equipment can be  added, as space allows. Training at one's own gym is the most logical choice.