Join Dom and Lauren as they debate the great questions of our time in this thrilling new episode!
Posts Tagged ‘britney spears’
Wpromote Vlog Episode 15 - “The Great Debate”
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
I Have Opinions Volume 4: Audiophilia
Friday, March 13th, 2009Shaking one’s head in disbelief at what “the kids are listening to these days” is no new concept, but we look back and laugh trying to imagine who was offended by the Beatles singing “I Wanna Hold Your Hand.” A lack of understanding across broad generational gaps is to be expected, but at the current rate of technological advancement I found myself shaking my head at “the kids” when I was only fresh out of college myself. It wasn’t about the music they were listening to, but how they were listening to it…
When I was just a young pup, my parents gave me a Fisher-Price record player and some children’s sing-along and story telling records. My ears starting bending heavily toward music by 6th grade, and in 7th grade I was enthralled by Punk Rock, a genre which has always been a proponent of vinyl records, largely due to its affiliation with rabid vinyl collectors. Those Fisher-Price speakers bore a lot of abuse over the next couple years in my bedroom.
Downstairs in our living room, locked up safe and sound beside my parents’ old vinyl collection was their top-of-the-line Sony record player. As I became more responsible and my parents came to accept that they weren’t going back to their records as much anymore, I was able to convince them to let me move the Sony up to my bedroom. I spent countless afternoons listening to their records and my own, hearing many nuances for the first time on the far superior system. Thus began my long career as an “audiophile.”
In high school, my friend’s family got a Bang & Olufsen sound system. I’d never seen anything like it. Whenever we were alone at his house we would take it over, playing all our favorite CDs and marveling at the sound quality. I was astonished to discover instruments I’d never noticed before in songs I’d listened to hundreds of times. I never wanted to listen to my CDs on a boombox again. No one had even heard of MP3s.
The iPod was first introduced during my freshman year of college, but it was at least a year or two before people really started snatching them up. Meanwhile, I was lugging massive Case Logic CD booklets back and forth across the country and laughing as my friends and roommates struggled with abysmal quality downloads on sites like Kazaa. I even tried a few myself, but was immediately repelled by the static-y digital files ripped at 128kbps - if you were lucky.
Of course, I eventually caved. We all caved. The iPod was/is the most irresistible consumer good…maybe ever. Its capacity expanded to the point where it could support much larger (higher quality) MP3 files. I had had enough of lugging CDs along when travelling or jumping from one coast to another at the beginning of each summer and fall. I went out and bought some very nice headphones from Bose, ripped my CDs at 320kbps, and life was good.
But something went terribly awry. The No Child Left Behind Act made no provisions regarding digital audio education. Kids continued to download super-compressed MP3s (even from iTunes) and listen to them through heinous “ear buds” that come with each iPod. Radio DJs started airing compressed audio, while some records were even produced with compressed audio samples. Soon, this convenient space-saving format had become the normalized mode of listening to music.
Recently, a Stanford Music Professor’s informal annual study has revealed some shocking news: young people actually prefer highly compressed audio! If you’re unfamiliar with terms like “compression” and “bit rate,” allow me to offer an analogy or two. Choosing compressed audio is like preferring to look at a painting or watch a movie with foggy sunglasses on. It’s like preferring to smell flowers when you have a cold or eat your favorite meal after burning your tongue. Compression eliminates a recording’s character and in radical cases, can virtually reduce the song to its basic melody and nothing more. High and low frequencies are eliminated or distorted, and a hazy layer envelopes the track.
I can understand that an average listener might have a hard time discerning between certain bit rates, but for anyone to actually prefer lower quality audio is baffling. However, this revelation adds an interesting twist to the rising use of Auto-Tune in mainstream pop records: forget about all this gibberish about it being an “artistic choice” …at 128kbps through iPod earbuds, you can fake-it-til-you-make-it. Kanye, Britney, and the rest of the Top 40 rejoice!
7 Wacky (yet Practical) Gift Ideas for the ‘Special’ People In Your Life
Monday, December 1st, 2008The election is over, Barack is gearing up to lead the nation, and the media is having a field day with the highly-anticipated (?) comeback of Ms. Spears.
Still, this doesn’t mean we should ignore the cold, hard reality: the holidays are here.
Last-minute holiday shopping is rarely fun, but when shopping for someone “special” (read: different, unique, bizarre, artistic, creative, annoying, weird), it can be nearly impossible to find a decent gift (assuming you care about such things) - and these artist types are the last ones you want to piss off. Just ask my boss.
The good news? If you resolve to get your holiday shopping done early, you may actually get to enjoy yourself at this year’s soirees, without having to worry about the shopping you still need to do or the gift you’ll never find.
Let the games begin
If you’re shopping for regular folks, consult this Black Friday post by fellow blogger and Wpromoter extraordinaire, Christian, for a great list of sites to do your holiday shopping from the comfort of home. Still, if you’re not sure what to buy that eccentric aunt, particular parent, or kooky cousin, you may need to go the extra mile…hence this post. In keeping with the holiday spirit (and taking a break from the usual online marketing-related fare), please read on for 7 gift ideas sure to satisfy even the most particular of people.
1) For the hopelessly un-hip - A subscription to KCRW
There’s nothing wrong with false hope, and yes, there is such a thing, no matter what Obama says. Get your uncool relative a KCRW subscription and you’ll be doing a good thing. He or she will get the chance (however overdue) to experience some culture (and save on cool stuff with the Fringe Benefits card). You get to support an indie radio station and Southern California icon. Yay.
2) For the perpetually confused - Yes/No Pillowcases (Set of 2) from Lazybone
Some questions don’t have answers. For all others, there are Yes/No pillowcases. Gift these to that odd ball uncle who can’t seem to make up his mind, about anything. Or that flighty niece who changes her boyfriend as often as she changes her…you get it. These pillowcases rock.
3) For the eternal cynic - Bullshit Button courtesy of the Random Shop UK
Tired of that meddling aunt who never fails to rain on your parade? Not to fear, the Bullshit Button is here. Give your most cynical relative this bright red toy and tell him or her to punch it anytime the urge to interrupt your conversation with a well-meaning “FYI” surfaces. Problem solved.
4) For the obsessive dog-lover - Pet Umbrella from Global Pet Products
It’s scary when people love their pets more than their spouse, but you and I both know these people exist. Excite their special love for four-legged, furry friends with this snazzy Pet Umbrella. Don’t expect a ‘Thank you’ - but do expect your relative to parade his or her dog around in this umbrella contraption indoors. It was just too cute to wait for rain!
5) For the amateur alcoholic - Philosophy the Cocktail Party (Set of 3)
You know the type - they brag about their newly found wine knowledge and think Jack Daniels is the be-all-end-all of scotch, but they can’t seem to make it out of the bar without spewing their lunch onto the sidewalk. Hand them this set of 3 luxury scented hair and body cleansers from Philosophy and let them indulge their addiction in the privacy of their own shower.
6) For the hypochondriacs among us - Talking First Aid Kit from Intelligent FirstAid
No matter how many doctors they visit or medical tests they undergo, these anxious, sensitive types fear for their lives on an almost daily basis. A papercut on their hands is a fatal wound, a dull throb in their temples is most definitely a migraine, and an innocuous cough is a sign of the bird flu. Delight them with this Talking First Aid Kit and they will never have to worry about cutting too thin a piece of gauze again. Hooray!
7) For the someday novelist/literary snob - Instant Gratification Kit from McSweeney’s
Ah, yes. There’s one in every family, and if you haven’t identified the someday novelist/literary snob in yours, rest assured he or she is hiding. These brooding writer types are known for leading double (sometimes triple) lives. Handing them this Instant Gratification Kit from McSweeney’s (aka 4 issues of the famously weird literary journal) is a double-edged sword. On one hand, they’ll secretly wonder if you’re out to blow their cover, and will plot your demise in their heads. On the other hand, they’ll be so truly smitten with the idea that someone finally “got” them, they may just model the heroine in their first novel after you. Tough call.
DISCLAIMER: I don’t have a dog yet (we can’t decide between 4 Yorkies named after the Beatles or 2 pugs named ‘Fred and Ginger’), but besides the pet umbrella (and the Philosophy gift set because I prefer to drink my liquor), I’d love any of the other five gifts on this list. Hint, hint. Hint.
