Finally Finished the Himalaya Project!

So I finally finished that "Himalayan Mix Tape," I was going on about. I started with over 50 songs (including a lot of your suggestions, dear readers) and pared it down to a one-hour, compilation CD that I think will shout CARNIVAL! at you louder than a midway barker. Here's the run-down:
1) Rock You Like a Hurricane - Scorpions
2) Back in Black - AC/DC
3) Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin
4) Paradise City - Guns 'N' Roses
5) Tom Sawyer - Rush
6) Don't Bring Me Down - E.L.O.
7) Centerfold - J. Geils Band
8) Everybody Wants You - Billy Squier
9) Take a Chance on Me - ABBA
10) Mirror of Illusion - Hawkwind
11) Dirty White Boy - Foreigner
12) Fox on the Ron - Sweet
13) Godzilla - Blue Öyster Cult

I'm going to give it a listen tomorrow on my way to work, but I think we have a winner. If you'd like your own copy just shoot me your snail-mail and I'll send one out as soon as I get around to it. (Sorry, hard copies only, I'm just not up for fighting with my FTP client this week.)

Thanks again to everyone who suggested songs. It's gratifying to know that there's a couple of people actually reading this stuff.

(photo courtesy of Gush Party, USA)

If The Bene Gesserit Had to Face Tech Week...

It is tech week.
Tech week is the mind-killer.
Tech week is the little death that brings total obliteration.
I will face tech week.
I will stay up all night; I will work through weekends with completely irrational people.
And when tech week is over, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where tech week has gone there will be only closing night.
Only strike will remain.

Double Dork Points(tm) to me for combining Dune and tech theatre into a blog post.

Minus several million for ripping off Jon Rosenberg.

Actually, now that most folks I know have survived tech week, his strip is more appropriate:

http://www.goats.com/archive/990517.html

Face your beers, people, you've earned them!

Good News for Internet Radio

I listen to a LOT of internet radio. At work, I listen to a "Steve Roach" (ambient/drone) station on Pandora, in a feeble attempt to keep my stress levels down. At home, I listen to the "Drone Zone" on Soma FM while paying bills (for the same reason). And Robyn and I have recently started listening to the live stream from AM 1710 out of Antioch Illinois (old timey radio drama) at night as we go to sleep.

For several years now, there's been a struggle between internet radio stations and record labels. The point of contention has been what constitutes reasonable per-song royalty rates that the labels could require for sites providing streaming music. For a while, it looked as if the rates would be so high as to force stations like Pandora and Soma out of business.

According to a recent article in New York Times, though, the record labels and online music services have reached an agreement that will allow sites like Pandora and Some to stay in business, while providing the copyright holders with some compensation for their music.

There seems to be some question as to whether or not this agreement will remain in place; but if it does I think it will turn out to be a good thing for the labels. More and more, streaming music services are replacing commercial radio stations as the place for listeners to discover new music.