jamesb.com

My Baby Girl Turns 8

jamesb — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:57:02 +0000

My baby girl turned 8 years old. Where had the time gone? Seems like just yesterday she was wiggling here way out of the swaddling blanket. I’m not sure what I’ve done right, if anything, to warrant such a beautiful girl.

Spring Sprang…Summer Has Arrived

jamesb — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:34:23 +0000

Iris in the Yard

Spring is my favorite time of year. Too bad it seems so short. Maybe that is why I haven’t updated this blog for 3 months…time just moves too fast. Plus, let’s be honest…who really reads this blog anyway? Well, I guess I would continue to write periodically even if there was only one reader.

Kitty in the Jungle.

One of my favorite parts of spring is watching the flowers bloom. The weeds in the yard are out of control. But the flowers help make up for it. Pictured here is an Iris from the yard. Iris are a new addition this year. The Tulips this year were unbelieveable, every color and shape imaginable.

Every year I like to try to capture the beauty of the flowers with my camera. Every year seems to be a disappointment. Yes, the photos are getting better but there is always room for improvement. What I see in my minds eye, usually doesn’t translate to the picture. Isn’t that how life goes…the beauty we see is often fleeting and hard to capture.

I turned a year older a couple of weeks ago. Aging is such a mysterious and yet inescapable process. Like the peddles of a tulip, the skin turns from perfectly smooth and flawless to withered and dried in the course of it’s lifetime. There is no going back. We should be grateful for our children. When we were their age we didn’t think about the smoothness of our skin, the spring in our step or how easy it was to fall asleep. We didn’t appreciate what we had. We can enjoy our children’s youthfulness, even if they do not.

I guess that is why Spring is my favorite season. each year I get a chance to relive the grandeur and mystery of life just beginning, weeds and all.

Timelapse: Moving Snow

jamesb — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:33:05 +0000

Yesterday it snowed a ton…literally. When I finally got around to shoveling, there was at least a foot on the driveway. Here is my first attempt at creating a timelapse movie. I used my iPhone and an application called TimeLapse. Photos were taken at 10 second intervals, totaling something in the range of 250 photos.

Unfortunately, Tigger the cat knocked over the camera before I finished. Enjoy.

microStockU So You Can microStock Too

jamesb — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:34:27 +0000

Introducing a new podcast by me…jamesb. It’s called microStockU, and it can be found by going to microStockU.com or jamesb.com/microstocku. It’s the podcast that tracks my journey in the land of microstock. Don’t know what microstock it? Tune in and find out.

Face the Music 34 - Chains of Steel and Plastic

jamesb — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 17:11:08 +0000

It’s been a long time since I put out an episode of Face the Music, more than a year in fact. So here one is at long last. Three songs served up, just the way you like them, wrapped in theme. Enjoy!

Featured Songs:

Song 1
Artist: Doug Randle
Album: Songs for the New Industrial State
Song: Coloured Plastics
Label: Light in the Attic
Buy Link: iTunes Music Store

Song 2
Artist: J Tillman
Album: Vacilando Territory Blues
Song: Steel on Steel
Label: Western Vinyl
Buy Link: iTunes Music Store

Song 3
Artist: School of Seven Bells
Album: Alpinisms
Song: Chains
Label: Ghostly International
Buy Link: iTunes Music Store

Mentioned Links:

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Memiary: journaling for the 21st century

jamesb — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 21:42:23 +0000

For years I have gone in and out of journal writing stages, especially when I hit the computer age. I am constantly torn between the old tried and true book journal, or the convenience and speed of the computer. A paper journal is so linear that it is easier to focus ones thought. The computer is powerful with spell checking, searches, formatting. Well now I have found a third option, Memiary.

It’s not meant as a replacement to either method, unless you are satisfied with the level of granularity it provides.

I came across this website (and optional iPhone app) that makes journaling easy and fun. Memiary is a website that allowed the user to enter five items each day. The magic doesn’t happen all at once. It’s easy to think of the most important things that happen to you each day, but imagine looking back a year from now, or five or 50. Wouldn’t it be great to know what you did on this day 10 years ago. It only takes moments a day. I record things throughout the day, and polish them at the end of the day. But each person might have a different way of recording their day.

Signing up with the site is free, and the design is simple and beautifully designed. Go check it out.

Song: Business Time by Flight of the Conchords

jamesb — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 22:25:38 +0000

Not quite safe for all audiences, but terribly funny! Anyone who has been married for more than, say, 10 years (maybe less maybe more) will understand. This isn’t the version from the album, but pretty close. He tends to improvise .

If you want to find the song to download so that you can listen to is again and again and again, visit this link. Enjoy.

Most of the Time

jamesb — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:47:41 +0000

Bob Dylan’s new release this year, Tell Tall Signs, is #8 in his bootleg series. It’s a series ofrare and unreleased songs from his work between 1996 and 2006. He never ceases to amaze me how he can put so much meaning and feeling into song after song.

One example is the song, Most of the Time. The original version is good, but the alternate version on Tell Tale Signs is incredible. What I love about this song is his ability to say one thing but mean another.

It’s an incredible album, one of the best of 2008.

Terrifying

jamesb — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:47:04 +0000

Some things are just too terrifying to talk about.

Stones, Sweaters, Fire and Rain

jamesb — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:23:36 +0000

For lunch today, I bought a chicken bowl and a chocolate shake from Hogi Yogi. Why? I don’t know…call it feel good food. It’s food that invokes happy feeling. music does that same thing as feel good food, except that we can invoke more than just happy feeling with music. Of course, food can invoke a lot of different feeling as well, but the range of good feeling is somewhat limited with food. With music we can enjoy a wider range of emotions, even feel negative emotions and still ‘enjoy’ the experience.

For example in You Can’t Always Get What You Want by the Rolling Stones we can experience the liberating realization that sometimes in life we can’t get what we want in life, but somehow things work out and ultimately we get what we need. At least in the midst of trials, it’s nice to hear someone else tell you such sage words of advice.

Who hasn’t felt their spirits rise as the result of hearing the refrain of Bobby McFerrin’s Don’t Worry, Be Happy. The song was worn out in it day, but only because it was so therapeutic to it’s listeners who longed to be uplifted and encouraged.

Weezer’s hit the big time in 1994 with Undone - The Sweater Song. 1994 was a hard year for me, kind of like last year, and that song really hit home. I felt like I was unraveling little by little. Thankfully I’m starting to feel better. But my point is that Weezer really seemed to be able to put into a song the way I was feeling. Here is a case where a song can make one feel good and bad all at the same time. “If you want to destroy my sweater, pull this thread as I walk away, watch me unravel I’ll soon be naked, Lying on the floor, I’ve come undone.” Now those are insightful lyrics. It’s funny to talk about a sweater unraveling, but the imagery is unique.

Finally, James Taylor on his album Sweet Baby James sings about the loss of a friend in his song Fire and Rain. Part of it is a story about a friend, Suzanne, who committed suicide while he was in London. His friends didn’t tell him about the suicide for six months for fear it would shake him up. You can feel the regret in his voice at this loss. “I’ve seen fire, and I’ve seen rain, I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end. I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, But I always thought that I would see you again.”

Where would we be without music…and where would we be without good food? I’m going to go finish my chocolate shake.

The Bush from the Black Lagoon (minus the Black Lagoon)

jamesb — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:07:56 +0000

Since moving into our house in 2005 I have been haunted by a monster. But this summer the monster was cut to the ground and hauled away in little pieces. (I wonder if I’ve been reading too much Steven King?)

The monster that had haunted my dreams for 3 years was a pyracantha (firethorn) bush that measured 75 feet wide, 18 feet deep (to the fence) and more than 20 feet high. Presumable planted when the house was built in 1960, the bush had more than 40 years to amass it’s hold on my backyard.

We attempted to get bids from experts trained to deal with green pests and garden giants. One yellowpage add said, “no job too big or too small.” He would not even give us a price quote, nor would anyone else. I note now that his ad did not say, “no job too scary.”

So in mid June, with chainsaw in hand and a 40 foot dumpster on the way, a select group of brave comrads and I (family and neighbors) slew the monster and chipped it’s remains into a million little pieces. The battle was won, the foe has been vanquished.

What worries me is what lies under the ground. The battle was won, but what of the war? Already I see signs of life. Ever see Tremors?

The Price of Magic

jamesb — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 21:44:40 +0000

What’s The Price of Magic? It’s a “game” or exercise taught by Orson Scott Card at a writing class I attended in San Diego recently. The purpose of which is to define rules of a fantasy world where magic is possible. For magic to be possible, there is bound to be a price.

Uncle Orson’s writing class was a wonderful two day course that finished off my relaxing Southern California trip. The class was more than inspiring, it gave me some real world experience with the writing process.

OSC talked about everything from characterization and viewpoint to submitting manuscripts. It was fun and fascinating to learn from someone so intelligent and prolific. When I read OSC’s books I’m always amazed at his understanding of human nature. For anyone interested in the writing process, I highly recommend his class. Maybe if he does one next year I’ll try for his boot camp, an extended course whepre you write a complete story under his tutalage. Sounds fun, huh!?! What’s the price of magic? $175 and two days with a master of his craft.

Home:Theater

jamesb — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:47:28 +0000

I’ve been meaning to make this post for several months now It just took me a while to get around to it. (Or to get a “round tuit” as my mother used to say…never did figure out what a round tuit was, but wouldn’t you know it, they sell them on online.) Anyway, already off topic.

Last December I started turning my living room into a home theater room. It was a big project, but it turned out nice! It’s wonderful to be able to watch a movie on my own 150″ screen. It has almost all the benefits of being at a movie theater, without the drawback. Plus a few advantages such as pause, rewind, subtitles, light control, etc.

I was going to put a picture of a kitty, or a T-Rex on the screen, but I didn’t get around to it.

The wall of my home theater screen all taped off and ready to paint. The screen is 150″ diagonal, I could have gone 170″, but then I wouldn’t have room for the speakers on the side, and the electrical plugs at the bottom would have been in the way.

I applied the special screen paint that I purchased from DIY Projection Screens.

The finished project. I have the room lights on and the camera flashed, so the screen is washed out, but in the right conditions, it’s really amazing.

Here is the reverse look. You can see the projector mounted to the ceiling in the top, somewhat to the left.

The projector is the Panasonic PT-AX200U

I’m Burning, I’m Burning, I’m Burning for you!

jamesb — Thu, 15 May 2008 03:33:14 +0000

Okay, title is a lame reference to an catchy Blue Oyster Cult song…but it somehow seemed appropriate. You can almost feel the heat coming off those candles. And, yes, There ARE 38 of them. I’ve been saying that I’m 62 this year…since I’ve decided to count backwards. It’s been a birthday full of surprises, one worth remembering!

Looks Are for Free

jamesb — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:34:02 +0000

100 Year Picnic, one of my favorite independent bands has released their newest full length release, Tales of a Modern Splash. The album is full of great songs; multi-layered and perfectly textured, each song has it’s own story to tell.One of my favorite songs on the new album is Looks Are for Free. It, like a few other songs on the album has properties that remind me of the Beatles, though to call Jeff Greeneberg and Edwin Pierce another John and George would be to misunderstand their motives. 100 Year Picnic’s music is mostly based around their families that they both love and tolerate, and this can be seen in their songs.Another favorite from the album is Isolation, an alt country ditty that paints a picture of a run down yard and a neglected relationship. The chorus is full of truth:

She said, you and your isolation,What are you trying to escape from,Can’t stand to walk away,So let me back into your life,It takes two to make one wrong thing right.

Don’t miss the song, Come On. It’s about living life to its fullest. It’s wonderful. I’m sure that I’ll have Tales Of A Modern Splash on my mp3 player quite a bit this year.BTW: one of my all time favorite songs is also by 100 Year Picnic, It’s called Mary Faye Tucker. It’s the story of an annoying sales-person selling resort timeshares.Enjoy! Life’s a 100 year picnic…

Simple Together

jamesb — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:41:28 +0000

I was sadly mistaken that I would have my ‘93 Pathfinder forever. Actually, I still have it, but just upgraded to this new ‘08 Toyota Yaris for my daily commute. The color is said to be “olive mist”. To me is just a nice shade of green. I like green. Some people would even say I look good in green. At 35 miles per gallon, I’m saving over $100 a month in green gas money and I’m living a little more green to help the environment. I didn’t go for anything fancy. It has just about manual everything…locks, windows, breaks…I like simple. Together I hope we have many happy miles going down life’s highways.

Book: The Penal Colony by Richard Herley

jamesb — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:43:20 +0000

I just finished reading The Penal Colony this morning. I started reading it Wednesday and had a difficult time putting it down. It’s a fast read and a great story. I’ve been simultaneously reading another book, but this one clearly held my attention. The great thing about this book is that the author, Richard Herley only asks you to pay him if you enjoy the book. I sent him my payment a few minutes ago. It came out to about $2 U.S.

Here is the book synopsis from his website:

It is 1997. The British government now runs island prison colonies to take dangerous offenders from its overcrowded mainland jails.

Among all these colonies, Sert, 25 miles off the north Cornish coast, has the worst reputation. There are no warders. Satellite technology is used to keep the convicts under watch. New arrivals are dumped by helicopter and must learn to survive as best they can.

To Sert, one afternoon in July, is brought Anthony John Routledge, sentenced for a sex-murder he did not commit.

Routledge knows he is here for ever. And he knows he must quickly forget the rules of civilized life.

But not all the islanders are savages. Under the charismatic leadership of one man a community has evolved. A community with harsh and unyielding rules, peopled by resourceful men for whom the hopeless dream of escape may not be so hopeless after all …

The story is one that fascinated me from the start. With the state of the prison system in the U.S., I have naturally wondered what would happen if convicts were placed on an island to work things out for themselves. This is a fascinating study into human nature and the nature of civilization in a vacuum. It also makes one grateful for many significant and insignificant luxuries we live with each day.

As for the writing and the story, you can’t ask for more. Mr. Herley is a writer in charge of his craft. The plot progresses steadily and the characters are developed carefully and expertly. I like a story that has deep and meaningful characters.

Again from the website, a note about age appropriateness:

The Penal Colony is exceedingly violent, although the worst is not so much described as alluded to. It also deals with homosexual rape and other matters which are best left to an adult sensibility: the book is not suitable for children.

This statement makes it sound worse than it is. Truly, this is not a kids book, but Mr. Herley handles the situation in the book with careful sensibility. Nothing is said for the shock factor as much as to paint a clear picture of what would probably be.

Book: Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

jamesb — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:45:18 +0000

I bought Pillars of the Earth before I knew that is was Oprah’s Book Club pick for January…honestly! But I’m not sorry I did. It’s a great book full of all the elements of a great story. Ken Follett finished it in 1989, and it’s popularity has been growing for years through word of mouth.

Ken Follett has long been fascinated with the cathedrals of Europe, but it takes a work of genius to make others fall in love with those same ideas through the use of fictional characters in the middle ages.

He spins a wonderful tale of hardship and passion. His characters are truly believable; all have strengths and weaknesses and no one is perfect. Certainly, some are closer to perfection than others, but he doesn’t hide people faults and short comings. Maybe that is what I like best. The book also makes me thankful for everything we have in our modern age, especially the things we take for granted like food, security, compassion and reinforced steal.

Album: Keep Your Eyes Ahead by The Helio Sequence

jamesb — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:13:50 +0000

I can’t put my finger on who Helio Sequence remind me of, but that is a good thing. I suspect it is because they have a unique yet familiar sound that is immediately appealing. There is something very Flock of Seagullsish about the title track, Keep Your Eyes Ahead. And close to the end of the album in Broken Afternoon you can hear Bob Dylan’s influence. It’s very beautiful and very transparent.

But my favorite song on the album is the first track, Lately. Listen to the song and think of each line as a fib, as if the singer is trying to convince himself that his words are true. It’s a very powerful song.

Helio’s lyrics are understandable, literate and interesting with enough vagueness but not too much to be meaningful.

This is my favorite album so far this year. I won’t be surprised if it ends up on my 10 best for the year.

Artist: The Helio Sequence
Album: Keep Your Eyes Ahead
Label: Sub Pop Records
Download: Keep Your Eyes Ahead (Linked from their website…go check it out.)

Album: Gum by Cornelius, an amusment park in January

jamesb — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 07:37:46 +0000

Cornelius is the stage name for Keigo Oyamada, a highly creative Japanese artist who chose his name in homage to the movies of Planet of the Apes.

His newest album, Gum, is ears candy with nutrition, not just empty calories. It has the depth to satisfy the heart as well as the ear. It’s a fascinating journey, or as I like to see it, as enjoyable as a day at an amusement park.

Cornelius, by nature is experimental, but he provides just enough traditional pop/rock footholds to make the album approachable, even if you have never heard him before (assuming you are in the mood for something a little out of the ordinary).

As someone who has spent time in Japan and enjoys Japanese Pop/Rock and even the use of hard to understand and sometimes nonsensical English, this album doesn’t strike me a cheesy like so many uses of Japanese English. The use of English, Japanese, and in some cases voices for sound’s sake are reasonable, interesting and fun.

Every song on this album is enjoyable. My favorite is “Music”, both the English and Japanese versions, remind of me Manhattan Transfer. Kling Klang is as Zen as it gets. Linked here as an mp3 download is “Gum” the title track that I really wonder if the Japanese sounds mean something in code as they switch from one ear to the other. Listen and see what I mean.

Artist: Cornelius
Album: Gum
Download: Gum (mp3)
Buy album at Napster

Ask yourself…WWJB?

jamesb — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:39:15 +0000

Ten Story Relapse has been a indie favorite of mine for a long time. They just put this video on Youtube. It’s a great song with a great message from their newest album, Antidisestablishmentarianism. Yeah…that’s a mouth full. Enjoy.

Face the Music 33 - Vague World

jamesb — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 04:26:10 +0000

It’s a tribute to all things vague and undefined…to all the times you find yourself saying “stuff” and “thingy” when what you really mean is “whatchamacallit” and “doohickey”. So sit back and enjoy the yada yada yada.

Featured Songs:

Song 1
Artist: Cowboy Junkies
Album: The Trinity Revisited
Song: I Don’t Get It
Label: Cooking Vinyl
Source: IODA

Song 2
Artist: Fancey
Album: Schmancey
Song: Fader
Label: What Are Records
Source: IODA

Song 3
Artist: Deon Blyan
Album: Lessons (And Other Things Learned)
Song: The Little Things
Label: Shameless Records Canada
Source: IODA
Buy Link: Buy at GroupieTunes

Mentioned Links:

www.badmovieplanet.com

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 32 - Halloween Dance Party

jamesb — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 03:55:50 +0000

We are having a dance party and you are invited, even if you are sitting at your desk at work with ear bud headphones crammed into your ears. In this episode, we reminisce about a few Halloweens of yesteryear and play some music that would make a corpse groove. As an extra treat, we have included a fourth song!

Featured Songs:

Song 1
Artist: Benjamin Bates
Album: Two Flies Single
Song: Two Flies
Label: Be Yourself Music
Source: IODA
Buy Link: Buy at Rhapsody

Song 2
Artist: Cannonball Jane
Album: Knees Up!
Song: Take It To Fantastic
Label: Gaddycat Records
Source: IODA
Buy Link: Buy at Rhapsody

Song 3
Artist: Information Society
Album: Synthesizer
Song: This Way Tonight
Label: Dancing Ferret
Source: IODA
Buy Link: Buy at Rhapsody

Song 4
Artist: Amanda Jayne
Album: Swoon More On This Album
Song: Nine Whole Lives
Label: Whatabout Music, LLC
Source: IODA
Buy Link: Buy at Rhapsody

Mentioned Links:

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 31 - Girls Girls Girls

jamesb — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 17:43:15 +0000

The theme today is all about girls. We have three songs that are about the fairer gender. It’s not hard to find songs that are written about girls, but these three songs are wonderful and moving. We are sure you will be humming along and tapping your feet from start to finish.

Featured Songs:

Song 1
Artist: Nibs van der Spuy
Album: Beautiful Feet
Song: Anna Rosa
Label: 2Feet Music
Source: IODA
Buy Link: Buy at iTunes Music Store

Song 2
Artist: Caribou
Album: Andorra
Song: Desiree
Label: Merge
Source: Podsafe Music Network
Buy Link: Buy at Amazon

Song 3
Artist: The Sadies
Album: New Seasons
Song: Anna Leigh
Label: Outside Music
Source: IODA
Buy Link: Buy at iTunes Music Store

Mentioned Links:

Dancing With Elephants

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 30 - War

jamesb — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 17:12:39 +0000

I said in the podcast that I had taken a 6 month break. I just added it up and the break has been closer to 9 months. Well, after 9 months I’m back! During my break I’ve had many things going on in my life and I’ve listened to a lot music.

This episode is about war. I started to plan this episode before I took the break and decided that I would pick it up again. The songs are only loosely related to war. All three songs are outstanding tracks.

Also on this episode, I introduce you to a special guess that may become a permanent part of the podcast. It was fun to record this episode. I hope to bring you many more on a more regular basis.

Featured Songs:

Additional Moog: The Bit War, buy at CD Baby
Stars: In Our Bedroom After the War: The Night Start Here, buy at Rhapsody
The Snow Fairies: Voila!: The Love Affairs of a Southern Belle, download the album FREE!

Mentioned Links:

iPhone
Book: Your Brain on Music

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 29 - Three Rs

jamesb — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 05:51:36 +0000

This episode started out being about science…but when the last song really didn’t fit the theme, I decided to name it the Three Rs…you know cellular Respiration, Romance, and aRithmetic. Okay so it’s a stretch…but I still got and episode done!

Featured Songs:

Science Groove: Oxidative Phosphorylation, PMN
Rilo Kiley: Science Vs. Romance, PMN
Jonathan Coulton: Mandelbrot Set, PMN

Mentioned Links:

Voice comment line: 206-350-FACE (3223)

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 28 - HUSH

jamesb — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 05:52:20 +0000

On today’s show, I play three songs from three different artist who all operate from the the same Label, HUSH Records. This Portland, OR label has become one of may favorite sources of new music.

Featured Songs:

Norfolk & Western: The Longest Stare, N&R on HUSH Records
Graves: Dirty Bird, Graves on HUSH Records
Super XX Man: Baby Song, Super XX Man on HUSH Records

Mentioned Links:

Voice comment line: 206-350-FACE (3223)

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 27 - 2006 Retrospect

jamesb — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 05:51:09 +0000

On today episode I pick three songs from 2006 that I had to hear one more time. 2006 was a great year for music. I have listened to hundreds of albums and I would pick these three songs as stand out track for 2006, podsafe or not.

Featured Songs:

Jonathan Coulton: Shop Vac
Additional Moog: Holy Jukebox, Lost Cat Records
Finniston: Changes

Mentioned Links:

Dancing With Elephants

Voice comment line: 206-350-FACE (3223)

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 26 - Past, Present and Future

jamesb — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 03:57:05 +0000

On this episode I am joined by a very special guest, who just may become a regular. James Jr. has joined me in the studio to help me produce this episode. We have the honor or playing song from three musical visionaries from the past. They presently have songs on the Podsafe Music Network. My hope is that these artist continue to support podsafe music in the future.

Featured Songs:

Howard Jones: “Build Our Own Futures”, PMN, iTunes, eMusic, Amazon
Thomas Dolby: “Europa And The Pirate Twins”, PMN, iTunes, CDBaby
Tom Waits: “Bottom of the World”, PMN, eMusic, Amazon

Mentioned Links:

Voice comment line: 206-350-FACE (3223)

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Film at 11:00 (actually make that 6:15)

jamesb — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 05:29:30 +0000

It was entertaining to see myself on the news tonight. I was interviewed for a piece on podcasting over the weekend.

Just a couple of small corrections: It’s not that I have always wanted to be a DJ; maybe I did once. But I guarantee…podcasting is a lot more fun than being a DJ, especially in this modern age of canned radio.

Point two: you don’t need an iPod to listen to podcasts. Almost half the people that listen to podcasts, listen from their computers. Some listen from OTHER mp3 players.

Other than those small points…thanks for the coverage John Hollenhorst. I think you hit the mark.

Face the Music 25 - Blood Sweat and Tears

jamesb — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 05:53:45 +0000

In honor of my new job and Halloween, I’ve themed this episode as Blood, Sweat and Tears.

Featured Songs:

New London Fire: “We Don’t Bleed”, PMN, iTunes, Amazon
Darren Geffre: “Sweat”, PMN, CD Baby, iTunes
The Critics: “Fail Without Tears”, PMN, CD Baby, iTunes

Mentioned Links:

Voice comment line: 206-350-FACE (3223)

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

NavelCast 2.2 - Names Revisited

jamesb — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 05:56:29 +0000

This is a re-release of episode 2 of NavelCast. This is the third time I have recorded this episode. The first two were recorded last year (2005) and are long gone from my feed. I am happy to re-release this story from my life. It helps to explain a great deal about me.

I transposed a couple of numbers in the show for my voice comment line. The voice comment line number is: 206-350-FACE (3223).

Featured Songs:

Puckett: “James”, GB.C
The Hot Rods: “Lil Sue”, PMN
Silverwheel: “Black is the Colour”, PMN
National Bank of Morocco: “Susan Grey“, GB.C
3 Blind Mice: “Jack and Billy” by 3 Blind Mice, PMN

Mentioned Links:

Voice comment line: 206-350-FACE (3223)

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 24 - PME ‘06

jamesb — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 19:50:35 +0000

This show contains music and thoughts about the Podcast and Portable Media Expo held September 29th and 30th, 2006 in Ontario California. I had a great time. I’m still walking on air.

Featured Songs:

Slau: “The Weight Of Words”, PMN
Geoff Smith: “Not on the Radio”, PMN
Brother Love: “There She Goes”, PMN

Mentioned Links:

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 23 - Sun

jamesb — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 05:17:55 +0000

Fall is upon us, and it seemed to have turned cold overnight. Just when I thought we were going to bypass fall and go right to winter, the sun came out again last Saturday. So, in gratitude to the sun that has decided to grace us with some of the nicest weather all year, I present this episode.

Featured Songs:

Recliner: “Hello Sun”
Nathaniel Maloney: “Ocean Sunset”
Slackstring: “Sun Again Will Shine”, PMN

Mentioned Links:

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

I hosted this weeks AMPed show.

jamesb — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 18:42:36 +0000

I had the pleasure of hosting AMPed #41, the official podcast of the Association of Music Podcasting. Check it out.

Face the Music 22 - Heroes and Monsters

jamesb — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 19:43:17 +0000

In life, it seems that we all know some heroes or monsters, we may even have in us a little of both at times. Here is my tribute to the hero and monster in each of us.

Featured Songs:

Dave Potts: “If I Broke The Record”, PME
Goat: “Monsters”, PME
Halfwayhome: “On the Passing of Fairytale Heroes”, PME

Mentioned Links:

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

NavelCast 11 - Bowling for Yen

jamesb — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 20:40:03 +0000

I can’t say that I’m a bowling prodigy, but a couple of games stand out in my mind. Both games happen to have taken place in Japan, while I was a missionary. Listen in to this NavelCast as I tell about the interesting time I had bowling in Japan.

Featured Song:

Lauren Hart: “All Fall Down”, Album: 5 Lifetimes, Label, ItsAboutMusic.com

Buy at iTunes Music Store

Club Stella Bowling Team: “Here Comes The Night”, PMN
Lets Go Bowling: “Oatmeal for X-Mas”, PMN

Mentioned Links:

JapanesePod101

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 21 - About Time

jamesb — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 20:39:00 +0000

I’m back! It has been a hot, busy summer. The kids and wife have been off school. As such, not much podcasting has been taking place aside from participating in a couple Daddy Panel episodes. But I have really used this time to regenerate my podcasting batteries. I’m finding some really great music that I am aching to share.

Featured Songs:

Kevin Reeves: It’s About Time, CD Baby
Asobi Seksu: Thursday, Friendly Fire Recordings

Buy at iTunes Music Store

John Jackson: Fifteen Minutes, Magnatune
Additional Moog: Holy Jukebox, Lost Cat Records

Mentioned Links:

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 20 - Contemplative

jamesb — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 02:37:25 +0000

I recorded this in one take on CastBlaster, so it is not quite my old polished self. But I guess if I keep doing it maybe I will become a new polished self. Today’s show is meant to be listened to while you are either trying to relax or while your mind is on something else.

Featured Songs:

David Francis: Song For A Party Never Held
Rob Costlow: Semester Days, Magnatune
Trance Vision: Enertia

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Beautifully Pitiful Parody

jamesb — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 04:24:27 +0000

If nothing else good had happened to me today, “You’re Pitiful” by Weird Al Yankovic made my day. It’s a free download from his website.

It is such a perfect parody that it brought tears to my eyes. Listen for yourself and tell me if you don’t think of someone that it reminds you of. If you can’t think of anyone…it might be referring to you.

Thanks, Al, for joining in the music revolution with your free and clear mp3 download.

Face the Music 19 - Mike

jamesb — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 01:21:28 +0000

It’s all about Mike. Mike of the 6620 West Kidcast and now a new podcast, Lets Speak Italian has become a good friend of mine. This episode is dedicated to him.

Featured Songs:

Bob Gentry: Upside Down, PMN
Collin Raye: Hurricane Jane, PMN
Occupant: My Mechanism

Featured Links:

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 18 - Sometheme

jamesb — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 05:35:58 +0000

I give you a different sort of theme today. The reason is that I really wanted to play these songs, so I found something that they had in common…the word SOME. Also, be sure to check out the Daddy Panel I recently participated in. Links are provided below.

Featured Songs:

Olwen Ringrose: Sometimes, PMN
The Complements: Something Like Happiness, PMN
Dann Kidd: Somebody Tell Me, PMN

Featured Links:

Dennis Gray from 101 Uses for Baby Wipes
PD Love from The DaddyCast
Greg from Dancing With Elephants

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Sorry, No New Podcast This Week.

jamesb — Fri, 26 May 2006 15:24:19 +0000

I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth. I am working on a big project for a dear friend and haven’t had the time to produce a new podcast last week and this week. I’m just about finished with the project and am planning the next podcast.

Please, stay subscribed. More Face the Music and NavelCast to come. And…a return to my roots. I’m going to start blogging more like the good old days.

Face the Music 17 - Mom

jamesb — Wed, 10 May 2006 19:08:59 +0000

I dedicate this episode to mothers everywhere. Where would we be if it weren’t for you, mom?

Featured Songs:

Ryo Sode: Mother, PMN
Kevin Reeve: Mother, PMN
Finniston: Listen To Your Mother

This week, the first Daddy Panel was posted. It was a lot of fun to talk with the other panelist and get their insight into fatherhood. Check it out at 101 Uses for Baby Wipes or The DaddyCast. The panelist were:

Dennis Gray from 101 Uses for Baby Wipes
PD Love from Lovehouse Radio and The DaddyCast
Rob from Podcast411
Richard Brewer-Hay

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 16 - Monkey

jamesb — Tue, 02 May 2006 22:03:20 +0000

The subject, today, is monkeys. Who will deny that monkeys are fun, and here are 3 very entertaining songs about our favorite primates.

Featured Songs:

Jonathan Coulton: My Monkey
MonkeyShine: Dont Bite the Monkey, PMN
Jonathan Coulton: Code Monkey

Mentioned Links:

101 Uses for Baby Wipes

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 15 - Love Evolves

jamesb — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 02:11:58 +0000

The saying goes that the only thing you can count on in life is change. That applies as much to love as it does to anything. This episode explores that love. Not the love of a teenage crush, or the excitement of a new romance, But the love that comes from years of helping each other achieve goals.

Featured Songs:

100 Year Picnic: About Everything But You
Super XX Man: Collecting Rocks, HUSH Records
Finniston: Changes

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

NavelCast 10 - River Raft Recollections

jamesb — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 03:01:04 +0000

Rafting down the Colorodo River in Moab, Utah when I was 14 years old is was one of those experiences that changed the way I look at life and consciousness.

Featured Songs:

Mike Errico: Skimming, PMN
Simon James: Drowning, PMN
Scott Wilder: River Run, PMN

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 14 - Spring Has Sprung

jamesb — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 01:53:13 +0000

Spring is in the air. On my walk to work this morning, I saw a robin digging a worm. He looked at me suspiciously. He probably thought I wanted the worm too. Don’t worry robin, I can dig my own worms.

I always say that winter is the great equalizer. It makes my yard look like everyone else’s. Katherine Whitehorn said, “Spring makes everything look filthy.” I’m not sure if that is true, but it sure makes my yard look bad. Time for some spring cleaning. For you listening pleasure, here are some songs to celebrate spring.

Featured Songs

Tom Paul: It’s an Easy Life, Magnatune
Ten Story Relapse: Planting Seeds
David Ippolito: This Hill is Filled With Children, PMN

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 13 - Japanglish

jamesb — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 03:02:30 +0000

It’s been a few years since I spent some time in Japan. One day in I found a treasure that I will always cherish, I own an Eric Crapton CD. Yes, you read that right. Click the link to see the cover art for that CD yourself. Find more gems like this at engrish.com

Featured Songs

Daiki & Little Wings: Dear Friend, PMN
Ambulance LTD: New English, TVT Records, BUY THIS ALBUM
Asobi Seksu: I’m Happy But You Don’t Like Me,

Free Download

Download “I’m Happy But You Don’t Like Me” (MP3, 192kbps)
Download “New English” (MP3, 192kbps)

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 12 - Half Empty Half Full

jamesb — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 22:10:25 +0000

Is the cup half empty or half full? ‘Tis an age old question, or at least as old as cups have been around. I wonder what they used before they had cups?

Featured Artists:

Natives of the New Dawn: Good Day, PMN
All Mighty Whispers: Mighty Whispers, PMN
Jenny Lewis: Happy

Mentioned Links:

iRiver and 6620 West Kidcast podcasts
Jenny Lewis interview on NPR’s All Things Considered

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 11 - Tripin

jamesb — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 05:00:16 +0000

Spring is almost in the air. It keeps teasing us. We have a warm day and then it will dump a few inches of snow. I can’t help but think about summer and wonder where the family and I will get away to on a family trip this year. Here are three songs that explore this theme in odd ways. Listen in and find out how.

Featured Artists:

100 Year Picnic: Mary Faye Tucker, PMN
Koala: Guantanamo Bay, PMN
Parks and Recreation: Break Into Song

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 10 - Cool Chemistry

jamesb — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 21:08:08 +0000

It’s show number 10, the big ONE ZERO. I have a long way to go before I hit 100, and I’m looking forward to the ride.

Featured Songs:

Kimo Watanabe: Won’t Let You Down, PMN
Kimo Watanabe: Ke Anuenue, PMN
Edie Carey: Chemistry, PMN

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

NavelCast 9 - Fireworks and BB Guns

jamesb — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 05:06:37 +0000

I don’t know why I sometimes think that I was a good child, and that I never did anything to cause my parents heartburn. With just a little reflection, I remember some of the things that I used to do. Fireworks and BB Guns figured heavily into my childhood.

Featured Songs:

Finniston: Listen To Your Mother, PMN
Slackstring: Sun Again Will Shine, PMN
Hungry Lucy: In The Cirlce, PMN

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 9 - One Man Band

jamesb — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 21:55:22 +0000

Featured Songs:

Listen by Dead Heart Bloom, PMN
There Will Come Soft Rains by Dead Heart Bloom, PMN
Bad Attraction by Brad Sucks, PMN

Topics on this podcast:

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 8 - Bread

jamesb — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 01:30:59 +0000

Todays show is recored on the trial version of CastBlaster. I’m trying to make it so that I can get an individual podcast out in less time. So the last couple of days I have been reconfiguring my podcasting rig. Let me know how it sounds.

Both songs today are from the Album Friends and Lovers: Songs of Bread.

Featured Songs:

Call and Response: Baby I’m a Want You
Eric Shea & Bart Davenport: the Goodbye Girl

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

…………………….

Friends and Lovers: Songs of Bread
Various Artists
Badman Recording Co

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at RealNetworks / Rhapsody

NavelCast 4.1 - What We Do Revisited

jamesb — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 00:26:47 +0000

I went to the dentist today, so I’m not producing a new podcast this week. I have recompiled the previously removed NavelCast #4 so that it is podsafe.

“What do you do?” We’ve all heard this question. And we all know what it means. It typically means, “what is you profession or job, what do you do for a living, or what do you do support yourself and your family.” But stop and think for a moment about the words, “What do you do.” It’s kind of funny question. I do a lot of things. I eat, I sleep, I breath, I walk, I talk, I move, I love, I hate, I think.

Here is the link to the painting referred to in this episode.

Featured Songs:

Ten Story Relapse: The Mistakable Mr. Smith, GB.C
Aluminum Group: Motorcycle

bill: Sound Scientist from PMN

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 7 - bill

jamesb — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 01:43:13 +0000

On today’s episode of Face the Music, I am starting a new kind of show, a spotlight show which features 3 songs from the same group. In honor of their new album, Birthday Suit, I am featuring the group known as bill.

Also on today’s episode, I talked about what I do for a living. Mike for the 6620 West Kidcast and his new iRiver podcasts asked me to explain why I use the name jamesb. I also talk about why I call my other podcast, NavelCast. All this and more on todays show.

Featured Songs:

It won’t hurt
Slippery Slope
Sound Scientist

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

NavelCast 8 - Sunday Bruised and Sorry

jamesb — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 05:02:39 +0000

Have you ever been beat-up, attacked or otherwise accosted? I have. This NavelCast tells that story.

Mentioned Links:

Featured Songs:

Permanent4: Lazy Sunday 3:52, PMN
Bob Gentry: Upside Down 4:16, PMN
The Day Traders: Sorry 3:54, GB.C

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 6 - Home

jamesb — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 04:29:45 +0000

Someone once said, home is where you hang your hat. That must have been back when more people wore hats. I think it more appropriate to say, home is where you hang your heart.

Today I give you, not 3, but 4 songs about home. I also mentioned and recommend checking out the 101 Uses For Baby Wipes podcast. It’s a great podcast by a father for fathers, and anyone else who wants to listen. This episode also features a guest appearance by my daughter, Samantha.

Featured Songs:

Candy Butchers: Let’s Have A Baby, PMN
Jonathan Coulton: Shop Vac
Trio Quattro: Home Sweet Home, GB.C
Josh Woodward: Home Improvement, PMN

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 5 - Death

jamesb — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 05:16:39 +0000

What can I say about death. It’s not something that anyone likes to talk about. This episode features 3 songs that talk about death in some way. I heard once that the definition of health is simply the slowest rate at which one can die.
Featured Songs:

Brad Sucks: Overreacting
The Hipnotics: Death Letter, PMN
Blue Vagrants: Anne Bancroft Is Dead, PMN

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 4 - Wanting

jamesb — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 02:50:59 +0000

Today’s podcast is about wanting. All three songs are about wanting something in someway. I also referred to The Word Nerds during this episode.

Featured Songs:

The Day Traders: Why - Garageband.com
Kevin Reeves: Shine - PMN
Ten Story Relapse: Stilts - Garageband.com

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 3 - Peaceful

jamesb — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 21:50:25 +0000

I have a peaceful show today. Not one of the songs actually have the word peaceful in it, but I think you will agree that these are 4 (yes, I’m playing 4 songs, not 3) great tunes.

The 6620 West Kidcast is a fun family podcast. Go check them out.

Features Songs:

Tom Paul: It’s An Easy Life - Magnatune.com
Mike Chappelear: Ending - PMN
Olivia Greer: In the Quiet - PMN
Ryo Sode: Silent Night - PMN

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

NavelCast 7 - First Cars and Best Friends

jamesb — Thu, 15 Dec 2005 03:55:48 +0000

There are few things as important to a teen as his first car or his best friend. Where these two intersect is the subject of this podcast.

Featured Songs:

Jimmie Bratcher: Drive, PMN
Rob Costlow: Friend, PMN
P.W. Fenton and The Second Ward: The Road, PMN
Dreamstate: Friend
Matthew Ebel: Drive Away, PMN

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 2 - Christmas

jamesb — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 03:59:45 +0000

The tree is trimmed. The stockings are hung. The children are way too excited. We are completely immersed in the holiday season. I just wanted to get this show out so that you, my listeners, can enjoy it while the season lasts.

Featured Songs:

3 Blind Mice: Watchstar - PMN
Allison Crowe: What Child Is This - PMN
Karmyn Tyler: Ill Be There On Christmas Day - PMN

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

NavelCast 3.1 - Cold Weather Revisited

jamesb — Fri, 02 Dec 2005 20:59:44 +0000

This episode is a revision of a previous show. I have revised this show to include only podsafe music.

As the nights turn chilly, and the leaves turn to fall colors, my thoughts turn to memories of autumn and winter. Cold weather is the theme of of this podcast.

Songs features on this podcast:

Jim Fidler: John O Dreams, - PMN
Ryo Sode: Cool Jam - PMN
Mike Chappelear: Cruel Weather - PMN
Andy Kropf Band: Cold - GB.C
PoorBailey: CommonCold - PMN

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

Face the Music 1 - Name That Theme

jamesb — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 23:21:48 +0000

Welcome to the first episode of my new podcast, Face the Music. FtM is a theme based, podsafe music show that compliments NavelCast. My intention is to make a podcast that is less scripted that focuses mostly on the music. Hang in there with me while I learn how podcast a music show.

Featured Songs:

Brother Love: Summertime - PMN
Finniston: Another Love Song - PMN
Slackstring: Lend Me Your Love - PMN

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

NavelCast 6 - Podsafe Music

jamesb — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 06:44:45 +0000

This edition is about Podsafe music and why NavelCast is switching to an entirely Podsafe format.

Featured Songs:

Your Face Is Not Enough by 3 Blind Mice, Podsafe Music network, catsaway.com
Peace of Mind by Finniston, Podsafe Music Network, finniston.com
Sally Went Down by Matthew Ebel, Podsafe Music Network, www.matthewebel.com
The Shnay Speaks and The Ming Thing by Cagey House, Podsafe Music Network

Subscribe now to my rss feed or with iTunes

PME 2005 is Over

jamesb — Sun, 13 Nov 2005 06:49:42 +0000

Well, the Portable Media Expo and Podcasting Conference 2005 is over and we’re getting ready to head back home in the morning. I’ve had a fun time and have met a lot of great people. Here is a list of some of the great people I’ve met.

C.C. Chapman, Accident Hash
Chris Condayan, American Society For Microbiology
Chuck Tomasi, ChuckChat.com
Corey Denis, Independent Online Distribution Alliance
Craig Patchett, Founder of the GodCast Network
Dan Klass, The Bitterest Pill
Darrel Shandrow, Blind Access Journal
Dave Slusher, Evil Genius Chronicles
Donald Datz, CEO of Audible.com
Doug and Grant, The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd
Lance Anderson, Verge of the Fringe
Larry Florman, BrotherLove
Leo Laporte, this WEEK in TECH
Mark Hunter, tartanpodcast
Marty Mulligan, Matt Hoopes and Dave Mansueto from Liberated Syndication
Michael Butler, Rock and Roll Geek Show
Patrick Norton, this WEEK in TECH
Susan Kitchens, 2020hindsight.org
Swoopy, Skepticality

Every one of these people are genuine, great people. I hope to meet them again next year at the next PME.

NavelCast 5 - Flying and Falling

jamesb — Wed, 02 Nov 2005 04:30:38 +0000

When I was a very young child, I believed I could fly. I don’t know exactly why I thought I could fly. It was probably because I had not yet developed the distinction between reality and imagination or dreams. It seems funny to me now, but I remember thinking. “I can fly anytime I want to…I just don’t feel like it right now.”

Featured Songs:

Music Clip: I’ll Fly Away by Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch

Music Clip: Learn How to Fall by Paul Simon

Music: Fly Fly Fly by Adrina Thorpe, Podsafe Music Network, www.adrinathorpe.com
Music: Learn To Fly by Josh Woodward, Podsafe Music Network, www.joshwoodward.com
Music: Falling Down by Fiva AM, Garageband.com & www.fiveam.com

Stay Tuned…

jamesb — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 04:27:03 +0000

Stay Tuned for the next exciting episode of Navelcast. I haven’t forgotten you. I’ve been sick and work has been especially busy. But, I’m brewing up another episode. I have notes for quite a few stories. I’m not going to run out any time soon. If you haven’t listened to episode 2.0, go listen to it while you are waiting.

I was in a car accident last Wednesday. That will be a story to tell, but I have to let it sit and mellow for a while.

Sleepy? Read this!

jamesb — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 19:46:31 +0000

What is the deal with sleep? Why do we need it? How do we get the most out of it? What if we can’t get enough of it?

Here is a good page about sleep that combines a lot of great research finding. It seems really common-sensical to me.

Sleep isn’t just a form of rest! Sleep plays a critical physiological function, and is indispensable for your intellectual development! Those who do not respect their sleep are not likely to live to their full mental potential!

Welcome DSC & Jimmy Jett Listeners

jamesb — Fri, 07 Oct 2005 18:46:51 +0000

Thanks for stopping by jamesb.com. I’m not yet listed on iTunes, (I submitted my podcast almost a month ago.) so if you want to subscribe…drag this link to iTunes. That’s all there is to it. Enjoy NavelCast.

libsyn feed problem

jamesb — Fri, 07 Oct 2005 00:15:24 +0000

If you having problems getting my feed…read this from the libsyn website. (libsyn is my podcast feed host.)

Thu, 6 October 2005

Bottom line, for those of you that can’t reach libsyn send us your ip addresses. We are passing those off to our datacenter guy who is manually rerouting how our site gets to you. Also important, according to our charts your shows are being served to MOST of your audience.

NavelCast 3 - Cold Weather

jamesb — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 16:07:13 +0000

As the nights turn chilly, and the leaves turn to fall colors, My thoughts turn to memories of autumn and winter. Cold weather is the theme of of this podcast.

Songs Features on this podcast:

Any Dream Will Do by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice from the album Original Canadian Cast Recording of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
One More Angel In Heaven by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice from the album Original Canadian Cast Recording of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Cruel Weather by Mike Chappelear, Podsafe Music Network Link
Cold by Andy Kropf Band, Garageband.com link
CommonCold by PoorBailey, Podsafe Music Network link

$100 Self Powered Laptop

jamesb — Fri, 30 Sep 2005 20:15:00 +0000

MIT has announced a $100 laptop that can operate for 10 minutes on a 1 minute hand crank. Man…we need more things like this in our schools, and in our lives.

Household LED Bulbs

jamesb — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 17:34:54 +0000

Not only do we need to find alternate (clean, renewable) ways to produce energy, we need to find ways to not use as much. Here is one idea that is starting to take hold: Replacing Incandescent light bulbs and even compact fluorescents (CFLs) with LED Bulbs. Once price of these bulbs come down a bit more, I will be using them in my house.

Sarah brought home a free gift from her work a few months back. A Two pack of flashlights. Wow, I was under whelmed. How exciting…flashlights…just what we need. And then I looked at them and realized that they were LED flashlights. Well, my attitude changed almost immediately. I hunted down some batteries and started to use those flashlights right away. I have been enjoying them ever since. They take very little juice to make them work. (I have a set of batteries in one of the flashlight that was too dead to use on my sons race track, but still work fine for the flashlight.)

NavelCast 2.1 - Names

jamesb — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 03:35:01 +0000

I produced NavelCast #2 again. I worked on reading and speaking it the way I would more naturally talk when I tell a story. Please comment about which is better.

Today’s story, music and quotes are all about names.

Songs Features on this podcast:

A Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash from the album The Best of Shel Silverstein: His Words His Songs His Friends
A Front Row To Hear Ole Johnny Sing by Shel Silverstein from the album The Best of Shel Silverstein: His Words His Songs His Friends: Link to full streamed version at NPR’s All Songs Considered archieve.
NavelSafe: Susan Grey by National Bank of Morocco: A song about a day in the life of a normal guy - GarageBand.com Link
NavelSafe: Name In Lights by Sitting Still: You could make a change this time, you cou could help to heal these wounds, You could make a better world, or you could have your name in lights. GarageBand.com Link
NavelSafe: James by Puckett: Sometimes friends get you to do bad things. GarageBank.com Link

Are PC’s Becoming Relics?

jamesb — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 21:50:45 +0000

Is the day of the home PC going to become a thing of the past in the near future. Jonathan Schwartz, president of SUN, seems to think they are.

“The majority of the world will first experience the Internet through their handset,” Schwartz said.

This quote got me to thinking. Most things that the average person needs to use a PC for, can be programmed right on to a cell phone now: email, web browsing, word processing, etc. When a keyboard mouse and displays can be connected to a phone at will, we will have the future. Imagine docking you phone and using it as a workstation…undocking it and away you go.

Take Two, and Action!

jamesb — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 14:41:00 +0000

I’m going to re-produce NavelCast #2. After posting it, I let Sarah listen to it and she thinks that it’s dry, and not like I normally tell stories at all. It makes her want to go to sleep. I’m still trying to figure out this thing called podcasting.

I’m learning a lot, but clearly have a lot more to learn. So, as an experiment, I’m going to re-record my narration with Sarah sitting in the room with me, so that I read and tell the story more like I would be telling the story in real life. She promises to make me lively. This will be an interesting experiment to contrast and compare. Hopefully others can learn from my experimenting, and those of you who tuned into my first two will hang with me while I experiment with the format and the production itself.

Stay tuned for NavelCast 2 v2.

NavelCast 2 - Names

jamesb — Sun, 25 Sep 2005 03:13:24 +0000

Today’s story, music and quotes are all about names.

Songs Features on this podcast:

A Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash from the album The Best of Shel Silverstein: His Words His Songs His Friends
A Front Row To Hear Ole Johnny Sing by Shel Silverstein The Best of Shel Silverstein: His Words His Songs His Friends: Link to full streamed version at NPR’s All Songs Considered archieve.
NavelSafe: Susan Grey by National Bank of Morocco: A song about a day in the life of a normal guy - GarageBand.com Link
NavelSafe: Name In Lights by Sitting Still: You could make a change this time, you cou could help to heal these wounds, You could make a better world, or you could have your name in lights. GarageBand.com Link
NavelSafe: James by Puckett: Sometimes friends get you to do bad things. GarageBank.com Link

Fictitious functions for five score and two defunct felines

jamesb — Fri, 16 Sep 2005 14:21:47 +0000

Far from being politically correct, I used to laugh at the cartoon book, 101 uses for a dead cat. Now it seems that theoretically there are 102 uses. I was lead to this article from Slashdot.

BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) — A German inventor said he has developed a method to produce crude oil products from waste that he believes can be an answer to the soaring costs of fuel, but denied a German newspaper story implying he also used dead cats.

NavelCast 1 - My First Memory

jamesb — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 00:00:46 +0000

Welcome to the first edition of NavelCast. If you don’t know what a podcast is, download iTunes and find out.

Here’s what you will find in the first edition:

NavelCast Introduced - with mood music, Not Alone, by Rob Costlow
The Cowboy Junkies new album: Early 21st Century Blues - See NPR’s All songs considered episode 90 under archives for full streaming version of Music Clip: Isn’t it a Pity by George Harrison. Also played Music Clip: Brothers Under the Bridge by Bruce Springsteen
My First Memory
NavelSafe: Stilts by Ten Story Relapse
QTP: I grew up to have my father’s looks - my fathers speech patterns - my father’s posture - my father’s walk - my father’s opinions and my mother’s contempt for my father. –Jules Feiffer
NavelSafe: Making Me Nervous by Brad Sucks

Dvorak on Podcasting

jamesb — Mon, 12 Sep 2005 14:57:57 +0000

John C. Dvorak is calling Podcasting the next big thing.

There is no doubt in my mind that podcasting is not only here to stay but will also shortly threaten established media broadcast systems. It’s not so much that they will all be destroyed by homebrew networks, but podcasts will be taking away just enough listeners to be a major concern.

Googlegazing

jamesb — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 19:34:54 +0000

I did a google search for “navelcast” and “belly button blogging” and the only search results I came back with were my own pages. Just wanted to check if anyone else had thought about it. Well, if they have…google doesn’t know about it.

Googlegazing: using google to navel gaze.

Belly Button Blogging

jamesb — Fri, 26 Aug 2005 14:32:13 +0000

I had an idea for the name of my podcast. How about the Navelcast? Why Navelcast, you might asked. Well, I’ve often felt a certain amount of self deprecating pointlessness toward my own thoughts, ideas, ramblings and writings. Somewhere along the line, I think in college, I was told that this was called contemplating one’s navel. While trying to think of what I would actually say in a podcast, I realized that aside from perhaps playing some cool music, it might only amount to contemplating the very lint in my navel and thus Navelcast.

The following is from the Wikipedia article about the Hesychasts, which was a sect of monks from the greek church.

“When thou art alone in thy cell shut thy door, and seat thyself in a corner; raise thy mind above all things vain and transitory; recline thy beard and chin on thy breast; turn thine eyes and thy thought towards the middle of thy belly, the region of the navel; and search the place of the heart, the seat of the soul. At first all will be dark and comfortless; but if thou persevere day and night, thou wilt feel an ineffable joy; and no sooner has the soul discovered the place of the heart than it is involved in a mystic and ethereal light.”

This quote is the source of the common phrase contemplating one’s navel, or more recently, navel gazing, which is used to indicate a supposed pointless form of activity.

I heard it

jamesb — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 22:38:47 +0000

Podcasting even has it’s own theme song. “On A Podcast — The Squeaky Clean Remix” is a song by Cruisebox. It has quickly become the podcast anthem. The original has language to which some would object. Thanks, Cruisebox, for the clean version!

Podcasting Introduced

jamesb — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 21:54:02 +0000

Since the launch of iTunes 4.9 I have really been getting into Podcasting. Time will tell if it will be a true medium of choice for discerning listeners, of if the hype will be more like the Doppler Effect of a passing train. I think this idea has staying power. I’ve even been considering producing my own podcast, but I’m trying to decide on a theme and name for it.

Here are some of my favorite podcasts:

5 Minutes with Witchita
Daily Source Code
Make Magazine
Digital Flotsam
Inside Mac Radio
Planet Japan

Quote from The Trial

jamesb — Fri, 19 Aug 2005 14:22:02 +0000

A friend of mine sent this to me yesterday. It’s a quote from The Trial by Franz Kafka:

“There can be no doubt?”said K., quite softly, for he was elated by the breathless attention of the meeting; in that stillness a subdued hum was audible which was more exciting than the wildest applause?”there can be no doubt that behind all the actions of this court of justice, that is to say in my case, behind my arrest and today’s interrogation, there is a great organization at work. An organization which not only employs corrupt warders, oafish Inspectors, and Examining Magistrates of whom the best that can be said is that they recognize their own limitations, but also has at its disposal a judicial hierarchy of high, indeed of the highest rank, with an indispensable and numerous retinue of servants, clerks, police, and other assistants, perhaps even hangmen, I do not shrink from that word. And the significance of this great organization, gentlemen? It consists in this, that innocent persons are accused of guilt, and senseless proceedings are put in motion against them…”

The Trial
Franz Kafka

Who’s robbing Whom?

jamesb — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 20:21:17 +0000

I was contacted yesterday by the personnel of a collection agency, telling me that because I activated a company American Express Card eight years ago, I am responsible for the balance on that company account. I have no recollection of that card, let alone recollection of using that card. I have not worked for that company for 6 years.

Vicky Williams from United Recovery Systems, called to inform me of my responsibility, and said that it would be going to the legal office at the end of the month. When I asked for a fax of my contract she belligerently said that they are not in the business of customer service, that the phone call was to inform me of my responsibility and not to provide proof. She said that proof would be provided by the lawyers at my expense.

The very act of them calling me at work on my personal cell phone has cost me and my employer time and money. Who is robbing whom? These tactics by unscrupulous people amount to nothing more than harassment.

…

Interestingly, I found this about United Recovery Systems while I was writing. They have obviously not changed their practices.

Google Earth

jamesb — Fri, 05 Aug 2005 16:36:38 +0000

Check out Google Earth for a cool free program that lets you look at the earth from space or zoom in surprising detail. My question is, if this is available to the common man, what else is available that we don’t know about.

Who’s shrugging now?

jamesb — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 22:46:56 +0000

I’ve been reading Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged for the last few days. I’m only into a little over 20%. That is when I figured out who John Galt is…couldn’t Ayn have made it a little more difficult to guess? If you solve a mystery when a book is only 20% of the way done, doesn’t it kind of ruin the climax? As soon as I guessed it I went to Wikipedia to verify it. I had seen a list of all the characters there earlier, but refused to read who John Galt was, because I didn’t want to spoil it. Upon confirming my suspicion…I learned a little more than I should have…so just a word to those who don’t want the mystery completely spoiled…after you have your own idea…just believe it and don’t try to find out too much too fast.

Summer Reading

jamesb — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 17:17:40 +0000

I have been reading quite a bit lately. I read Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game and Speaker for the Dead. I also finished Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. I’m reading a little from Montaigne’s Essays for my 10 year reading plan. And I’m back tracking and studying a little philosophy with some lectures from The Teaching Company called An Introduction to Greek Philosophy. Currently I’m working my way through Ayn Rand’s Atlus Shrugged. That is going to take me a while.

Great Books

jamesb — Fri, 06 May 2005 20:33:50 +0000

I have started a 10 year reading plan that touches on a lot of great books. The plan is based on a volume of books called Great Books of the Western World. Here is a web site that takes about the reading plan and links to a yahoo group where we discuss the work. I’m reading Rabelais: Gargantua and Pantagruel, Book I right now. He is one weird duck.

Hugh Nibley Died Last Thursday

jamesb — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 17:39:18 +0000

Hugh Nibley, LDS scholar, died last Thursday. He was 94.

Positive Proof

jamesb — Mon, 21 Feb 2005 21:16:04 +0000

I have followed and enjoyed the work of Project Gutenberg since the early to mid nineties. I have always wanted to participate somehow, but always worried about taking on too much and letting down the project if I didn’t pull my weight, or if my interest should wane. Maybe up until a few years ago, that might have been a reasonable excuse, but not anymore.

People that want to help out can benefit from the synergy created by distributed proofreading. Participants can do as little or as much as they desire. I recently started proofing for pgdp.net and find it relaxing and enjoyable. Even if I just do one page a day, I know that I’m contributing to something lasting worth.

Socrates on death…

jamesb — Wed, 16 Feb 2005 19:39:38 +0000

This is, perhaps, my favorite argument of Socrates, one that I have had for years, and now I find that Socrates had it long before me.

Moreover, we may hence conclude that there is great hope that death is a blessing. For to die is one of two things: for either the dead may be annihilated, and have no sensation of any thing whatever; or, as it is said, there are a certain change and passage of the soul from one place to another. And if it is a privation of all sensation, as it were a sleep in which the sleeper has no dream, death would be a wonderful gain. For I think that if any one, having selected a night in which he slept so soundly as not to have had a dream, and having compared this night with all the other nights and days of his life, should be required, on consideration, to say how many days and nights he had passed better and more pleasantly than this night throughout his life, I think that not only a private person, but even the great king himself, would find them easy to number, in comparison with other days and nights. If, therefore, death is a thing of this kind, I say it is a gain; for thus all futurity appears to be nothing more than one night. But if, on the other hand, death is a removal from hence to another place, and what is said be true, that all the dead are there, what greater blessing can there be than this, my judges? For if, on arriving at Hades, released from these who pretend to be judges, one shall find those who are true judges, and who are said to judge there, Minos and Rhadamanthus, Æacus and Triptolemus, and such others of the demi-gods as were just during their own life, would this be a sad removal? At what price would you not estimate a conference with Orpheus and Musæus, Hesiod and Homer? I indeed should be willing to die often, if this be true. For to me the sojourn there would be admirable, when I should meet with Palamedes, and Ajax, son of Telamon, and any other of the ancients who has died by an unjust sentence. The comparing my sufferings with theirs would, I think, be no unpleasing occupation. But the greatest pleasure would be to spend my time in questioning and examining the people there as I have done those here, and discovering who among them is wise, and who fancies himself to be so, but is not. At what price, my judges, would not any one estimate the opportunity of questioning him who led that mighty army against Troy, or Ulysses, or Sisyphus, or ten thousand others whom one might mention both men and women—with whom to converse and associate, and to question them, would be an inconceivable happiness? Surely for that the judges there do not condemn to death; for in other respects those who live there are more happy than those who are here, and are henceforth immortal, if, at least, what is said be true. –Project Gutenberg’s Apology, Crito, and Phaedo of Socrates, by Plato, 32

CD: Shatner - Has Been

jamesb — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 17:00:31 +0000

A new CD arrived in the mail yesterday. I ordered William Shatner’s Has Been album from BMG. The album is much better than I expected. In fact, I expected that I would regret getting this CD. But this CD has a lot to offer. It is deep, contemplative, funny and so much more. Shatner’s voice reciting his poetry with a back drop of music of various genres works. Shatner put out another album back in 1968, The Transformed Man. His version of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is even more psychedelic than the Beatles original. Although very original, his new album is more down to earth. It works.

Candy Diet?

jamesb — Thu, 30 Dec 2004 14:54:30 +0000

Don’t tell my son and daughter about this …they will want to be Astronauts when they grow up, just so they can live on candy.

It seem that the astronauts on the International Space Station had to live on candy for 5 weeks for lack of other food.

Top holiday injury for men

jamesb — Fri, 10 Dec 2004 17:00:50 +0000

According to a co-worker…who heard it on a CBS radio news update…the number one things that lands men in the emergency room during the holiday season is…drum roll please…stacking up, climbing on an falling from furniture. I don’t think we men would be so dumb as to actually stack up furniture and climb on it…would we? And even if we did, we would never fall. Now, excuse me while I adjust my neck brace.