I had seen a news report about LifeLock. The CEO gave out his social security number on TV! The reporter tried to use it to open new accounts and couldn't. I wasn’t sure that I needed this service. Heck, I’m a very careful guy—ask any of my family and friends. Okay so maybe having locked mailboxes, shredding all docs, having a premium locks and alarm system, owning two German Sheps, having spot lights and the machine gun foxhole in the front yard is a *little* much.  :o)

Later, I heard from the Army and then the VA that they had lost control of my private information. Sigh, I was mad. Aaron Freeman’s company wrote us retired military guys and offered us a discount on the first few years of the service so I signed up. I mean reducing the number of credit cards I own, carefully scouring my monthly credit card statements, checking my credit takes a lot of time. (Still have to do that though.)

But I do recommend to my friends and family to subscribe to this service. I was reminded of this service last week when a friend of mine got their purse stolen out of their cars while on vacation. Here we go again…

Suzy splurged a couple of years ago and bought us both this RATstand. It was the 6th or 7th in a line of attempts to find the perfect stand. This stand is it. There’s a video on the Web site for the Jazz Stand that show how easily it goes up. And *everyone* asks about the stand. They are very interested until they hear the price.

The stand has an optional case that we use to carry the plexiglass (for windy days) and sometimes the music if it’s in a folder. Here is the copy:

The Jazz stand is a professional quality portable music stand with a full range of height adjustment, industry standard stability, and a full size music tray with pencil shelf. And yet, as a result of its unique and patented design, it folds in three moves to a flat pack no larger than the size of the tray, and under 5cm thick. It does this with no knobs, no finger traps, and no hassle; just three easy moves.

When standing, the height of the music stand is adjusted by raising or lowering it to the desired height and leaving it there. Its patented friction joints ensure that it stays at the right height. Likewise, the tray stays at whatever angle you set it.

Jazz stands nest next to each other when standing. Once folded, they interlock to form an orderly pile. Or you can pop one in the gig bag with your music (see accessories). Please note that colour and tray options are subject to availability.

The Jazz stand can be unfolded with the base facing away from the musician; this enables it to get right up to the chair of the player in front. This configuration is also more suitable for conductors, cellists, and harpists.

I have been using Windows Live Movie Maker for a while now. It was free and just works. You can see an example of the result here in the Uploads window. Every one of these 49 movies were made with the beta Movie Maker program.

I just bought a pricy competitor’s program to see if I could get better results and the experience has been horrible. Loading the competitor's studio software took over an hour, starting it up the first time took over seven minutes and then I was staring at a user unfriendly interface. So I'll need to use the tutorial and user manual to figure it out. I’m back to using Movie Maker which I never had to use the tutorial or user manager to use; it was just that friendly.

I am anxious to try out this new version.  There are some features I’ve always wanted like putting a still pic over a less than good part of a video but not losing the sound. And having paid videographers to record some of my bands, this is an option that will save me a lot of money. Hey, if I can do it anyone can.  :o)

Don’t just take my word for it, many of your favorite tech sites are recommending you move to Microsoft Windows 7. I’ve been using the pre-release of Win7 for months now (yes I work at *that* company) and I fully support and recommend it to my friends and family members. Here is but one example of an article enumerating the reasons you should move to the Win7 OS.

                                           My Win7 Desktop (yes, that’s a Tesla)

“Landing in stores October, Windows 7 is sparking a surprisingly heated debate (in our forums, at least) on whether or not upgrading from XP is a good idea. If you’re in the “nay” camp, we’re going to lay out seven reasons why you should consider switching your stance to “yay.”

When scanning our list, we politely encourage you to ask yourself, “Do I really want to continue using an eight-year-old operating system?” Followed by “Don’t I deserve better?” Because no matter how comfortable you are with XP, you do deserve an OS that’s both newer and better, and Windows 7 will deliver. Not convinced? Then read on.” Wired.com

As most of you know I have a music studio on the first floor of my house. So far I have sound molded it (with various foam, curtain, and such devices), had a drummer friend of mine help me purchase and place a jazz drum set, purchased a Roland keyboard, and purchased a bass amp, sound system, mixer, mics and speakers. My band mates in the rhythm section, except for the bass player could show up after work and just start playing without schlepping their gear around.

So I starting pricing basses and they were pricy. I had gotten most of the other stuff at 50% or more off the normal prices because I wasn’t in a hurry and could wait for the sales. So when something like the Bellafina Model Bass was offered at under $500 I decided to leap. Shipping was another $200 and then I had Brad take it to his string repair tech in Everett to fix the bridge and put a pickup on the instrument. When it was all said and done, I had just under $1000 invested in the instrument. After about six months we took it back to the tech to finish adjust ments and now the bass is set for a while.

I then got a Peavy bass guitar which I keep in the studio too, just in case the is a player who prefers it. That cost me $60 at a pawn shop which was a very good deal if you ask me. So matched up with a 400 watt Behringer bass amp, this is a very phat sound.

I wouldn’t have considered this except this matched the setup my bass guy for the Dissonance has and he is kind of an expert on guitars and basses. He plays a number of Frankenstein setups like a guitar with two strings for bass and four for guitar on the same instrument. So far, no one has complained about the bass setup and all appreciate not having to carry their gear to a practice.

Here, mostly for my own use, is my schedule for the rest of the year… so far.

PCBB:

• Sept 13 - Eastside Swing Dance, 7 - 10 PM
• Nov 13 - Annual Arthur Murray Swing Dance, Seattle Center House 8 - 10 PM
• Dec 12 - Winterfest, Seattle Center House, 7 - 8:30 PM

Dissonance:

• Aug 28 - Crossroads, Bellevue, 7:30 - 10:00 PM
• Sept 6 - Ballard Locks, 2-4 PM
• Sept 12 – Showbox Night Club, Seattle, 6-10 PM

MJB:

• Aug 23, 2009 = Ballard Locks, 2-4 PM

WCB:

• Nov 22, 2009 - Redmond HS Performance Center, time TBD (probably 3 pm)

Plus any sub gigs although I tend to turn down more than I play now-a-days.

How is it possible that I haven’t bought a camera since Nov 2007? My new camera is as cool as the old and larger one which I use for both video and stills. Dad gets my old and trusty Lumix which he was so excited about he bought a tripod for already. I’m still looking for the user manual.  :o)

The FujiFilm F200 EXR specs are here: http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/21281/fujifilm-finepix-review/

I purchased this new camera because it has two stabilization methodologies employed by default; hardware and software. I also like some of the other high-tech improvements that makes highlighting what you want in a picture easy. Here is a video I took without a tripod:

The camera is light and charging it is fast and easy using a rechargeable battery that came with the camera. Here are some stills I took today.

In the first picture I’m too close to the subject, don’t adjust any settings and get this marvelous close-up of Macy. In the middle picture I have a backlit subject who won’t stay still but somehow still manage to get a decent picture. The last close up of Amelia, the amazing always moving dawg, again with no dial selection, just point and shoot renders me a crisp photo even though, once again, I’m too close to the subject (both emotionally and distance wise ;o).

Guess what, at around $300 I’d recommend this camera to any of my non-photographically skills family and friends.

Anytime I can catch these guys in town, we go to hear the Uptown Lowdown Jazz Band. My friend Paul Woltz is on soprano and bass sax and is jointed by a very relaxed Bert Barr who makes playing trumpet look easy.

                                   

The Uptown Lowdown Jazz Band is a Dixieland jazz band from the Bellevue, WA area. Started in 1971 by Bert Barr, it has performed continuously since that time now appearing at over 25 festivals and concerts annually throughout the United Stated and abroad. Major festivals include The Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, Sun Valley Swing & Dixie, The Great Connecticut Jazz Festival, San Diego Jazz Festival, Pismo Beach Jazz and America's Festival in Lacey, WA held over the 4th of July weekend. The full seven piece band has a worldwide reputation having performed in Japan, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Mexico and Canada.

Their first album, "Your Requests" was released in 1985, and the band has since released at least fifteen albums. The last album, "Chattanooga Stomp" was recorded in 2007. (Wikipedia)

I took some still shots too with a new camera that I was trying out.

 

  

The crowds are packed in, dancers doing their thang, and kids clappin’ their hands. And the price was right as this is a free concert which is part of the Crossroads Bellevue Summer Music program. Having come from the Midwest where music night was held at the city courthouse fountain, this kind of presentation takes me back. I really like Crossroads Bellevue on a number of levels, including for their support of local music. Maybe I’ll see you there when my group, the Dissonance, takes the stage on Friday, 28 August.

Your Gift Matched through August 31 – Give $25, Symphony Gets $50!

An anonymous donor has pledged a Matching Gift Challenge to help us close the gap on our 2008–2009 fiscal year, and we need your help! With only a few weeks to go before the August 31 deadline, every donor matters, every dollar counts — and through the end of this month, every dollar will double!
A gift of $25 sends five students to an Arts in Education concert at Benaroya Hall. Just think what $100 could do — what $1,000 could do — to keep music alive in our community.

Giving is easy. You can donate online at www.seatttlesymphony.org, or via the phone at 206.215.4868. And now, all gifts above $50 dollars will be entered to win a pair of tickets to an upcoming Seattle Symphony concert, plus pre-concert dinner in the elegant Norcliffe Founders Room.* Thank you for your continued support of Seattle Symphony!

Sometimes I find beauty and joy in the simplest of things. Last night it was a waxing, almost full moon. Today it’s a cup of coffee and well presented in my friend Menno te Koppele;s picture on Facebook today.

The barista probably thought nothing of this particular cup but the cream pattern is both fanciful and simple, almost as if found in nature.

IRISH COFFEE
By Allen L. Johnson -
My caffeinated riff on a favorite poem:
"William Butler Yeat's Lake Isle of Innisfree"

I will arise and go now, to sip my morning coffee
And read the morning paper--sports, politics, and trade.
Nine flavors will they blend me there, of roasted araby,
Ground finely by the bean-loud blade.

Read more at Cocoajava’s Coffee Poetry site.

This is a video of David Hyde Pierce at the Festival of Fun performing a very funny song "The Therapy Song" as his "Frasier" character Niles Crane. Enjoy.