M Is FOR MASHUP - April 10th, 2008
Fidget Freeman, DJ Extraordinaire
By DJ Useo
By DJ Petrushka
Hello everyone, DJ Useo allowed me to write this column this week.
There is an awesome new album out on the net. It is called "The
Freeman: The First Six Months."
The DJ/masher is none other than my good friend, Sfreeman. I must tell
you, this man is an awesome DJ in his own right. He DJ'd
professionally for many years in clubs, and now entertains the
masses at Sound-Unsound Network, on internet radio. Until I
started listening to him, I had never heard of the musical genre of
"fidget". Now, I am very well accquainted with the genre.
Wikipedia describes fidget as "a style of house music that
incorporates other dance music styles including Electro, Techno,
Breakbeat and UK garage." I would totally agree with that
definition.
Mr Freeman's album has all types of fidget tracks on it. My favorite,
the first track,"Get Down,Get Up To The Rocket Soul"(Sfreeman vs Plump DJ's) is an
awesomely gorgeous track. And yet, it makes you want to get up and
shake your booty to the irresistable beats. And then you have
tracks like "Crazy Monkeys"(Fidget Freeman vs Monoman vs Lee Mortimer vs Urban Monkeys) that makes your heart pound along with
the driving beats/rhythm, and makes your ears tingle with the
glitchy sounds. Folks, this is one album that will keep you
dancing for hours, and hitting the replay button.
The title, "The First Six Months" refers to the fact that Shane Freeman
has only been actually mashing tunes for 6 months, but you would
never know it, as he has mastered the art.
There are some different
types of tracks on here as well, one in particular I'd like to
mention-"Walk This Blacker Than Planetaria Land"(4Hero vs EZ-Rollers vs Gill Scott Heron), using drum and
bass instrumentals, and laying Gill Scott Heron on top for a
smooth, jazzy track, very unusual for mashers in general, and for
this masher in particular. I highly recommend this album, for mash
fans and dancers as well. You won't be sorry.
If anyone would like to hear Sfreeman on the radio, live, you can find
him on friday nights at 10pm gmt,that's 5pm est for you in the USA,
and saturday night at 11:30pm gmt, or 6:30pm est.
The address is www.sound-unsound.com, or just click on these links,
depending on your music program on your computers:
www.sound-unsound.com/wadio/soundunsoundwadio.pls
www.sound-unsound.com/wadio/soundunsoundwadio.asx
/www.sound-unsound.com/wadio/soundunsoundwadio.m3u
www.sound-unsound.com/wadio/soundunsoundwadio.ram
You can also find more info/tracks at Sfreeman's blog, at:
sfreeman41shotblog.blogspot.com/
I hope you check this out, the genre itself is wonderful, and this
artist/Dj is the total Bomb, in a good way.
Mix of the Week : Sfreeman41 - Winner of Mix of the Month March 2009 at www.sound-unsound.com is- The
Breaks Aint Dead-Live Mix In Brighton.uk-Fidget Freeman,
Breakssssssssssssssssss
sfreeman41shotblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/breaks-aint-dead-live-mix-in-brightonuk.html
Mashing tip of the week : Use only fresh potatoes, and lots of real butter.
DJ Useo's Podcast
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Tom Danehy: A series of Phoenix newspaper columns sheds light on the insanity of our country's immigration policies (tucsonweekly.com)
Laurie Roberts writes a column for "The Arizona Republic." She often finds under-the-radar stories that either tug at the heartstrings or jab a sharp stick in the jaundiced eye of bureaucracy. But she recently wrote a series of columns that made many of her readers angry, and left me, at the very least, bewildered.
Irene Messina: "Hey, readers: The future of newspapers is in your hands" (tucsonweekly.com)
As I write this, the newsroom is eerily quiet. The only noises I hear come from an occasional fax printing and a whirring desk fan. As I look around, I see piles of newspapers, black computer screens and empty chairs. Not a soul around.
This could be a scene from a Stephen King movie, where some plague or monster has wiped out a newsroom. In reality, it's just a typical late evening at the Tucson Weekly's offices.
Richard Roeper: 20 years working in the front row (suntimes.com)
When I was growing up, the newspaper business was as solid as Sears, which was as solid as General Motors, which was as solid as U.S. Steel, which was as solid as Pan-Am Airlines.
Viv Groskop: Meet the Muffia (guardian.co.uk)
Dressed in a flesh-coloured body stocking and long blonde wig, Sinead King shouts into a loud-hailer at Oxford Circus: "Anyone want a new hymen?" Her colleague, Katie O'Brien, pretends to inject her face with a giant syringe labelled "Botox". Every few minutes the pair down tools, belt up their red and white trenchcoats, put their hands in their pockets and "flash" passers-by, revealing curly merkins (pubic wigs). Onlookers laugh - and stare. Welcome to the world of the Muffia.
Andrew Tobias: "Live Longer (Til Death Do You Part?)" (andrewtobias.com)
Andrew Tobias on living longer and gay marriage.
Mark Morford: Dead People Smoke Camels (sfgate.com)
Quit smoking the EZ way! Pop this new drug, ignore your real issues. God bless America.
Time for an oil change? (guardian.co.uk)
Rapeseed, hemp, red palm, pumpkin ... suddenly olive oil has many rivals on the supermarket shelf. But are they healthier -- and tastier -- than our old favourite? Robert Hudson tries them out.
"Gimmick Vol. 1-6": by Youzaburou Kanari: A review by Charles Solomon
In America, comic books have often presented a conservative political message. From the combat missions of World War II GIs to the vigilantism of "The Dark Knight," even anti-heroes have generally fought to preserve the established order. There have been exceptions, of course, but American readers will be surprised to find a powerful denunciation of the war in Iraq in the comedy-adventure manga series "Gimmick!" with its story by Youzaburou Kanari and art by Kuroko Yabuguchi.
Tirdad Derakhshani: Samuel R. Delany presents characters that, like him, can't be reduced to stereotype (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Samuel R. Delany gently pats down the famously eccentric, salt-and-pepper (well, far more salt than pepper) Zeus-meets-Santa Claus beard that hangs over his rotund belly.
John Anderson: Can Miley Cyrus go from 'Hannah Montana' to grownup? (Newsday)
Hannah Montana, meet Hayley Mills.
Robert W. Butler: Furious over 'Fast' success (McClatchy Newspapers)
I subscribe to the great cynic H.L. Menken's observation that "No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." You'd think that after years of awful movies dominating the box office I'd have become numb enough to not care anymore. But I do.
Slideshow: The Death of Newspaper in Pictures (talkingpointsmemo.com)
The Weekly Poll
New Question
The 'Ban the Bomb' Edition
Barack Obama yesterday announced a radical drive aimed at ridding the world of nuclear weapons, as the focus of his European visit switched from financial to geopolitical security. "In Prague, I will lay out an agenda to seek the goal of a world without nuclear weapons," Obama said yesterday... "The spread of nuclear weapons or the theft of nuclear material could lead to the extermination of any city on the planet," he warned, adding that suspected rogue nuclear states, such as North Korea or Iran, may only be persuaded to abandon their quests if the big nuclear powers set an example...
Barack Obama's New Offensive Against Nuclear Weapons | CommonDreams.org
How successful do you think Obama will be in this endeavor?
A. Total nuclear disarmament and the dawning of the Age of Aquarius (Hoo Ha!)...
B. Significant arms reduction by the current nuclear powers, rigorous enforcement of the non-proliferation treaty re: Iran and North Korea etal and the Doomsday Clock rolls back a couple of hours (whew!)...
C. Are you kidding? Humanity is gonna, sooner or later, blow itself to smithereens, dagnabbit!
Send your response, and a (short) reason why, to
wrote:
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and cool.
Lunch Auctioned
Jon Hamm
Care to schedule a lunch meeting with Don Draper? Golden Globe-winning "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm is making himself available for lunch in Los Angeles to the winning bidder on eBay.
The online auction benefits the Adrienne Shelly Foundation, which supports the artistic achievements of female filmmakers with scholarships and grants.
Other meals with celebrities up for auction include Hamm's "Mad Men" co-star John Slattery, Paul Rudd, Kevin Smith, Nathan Fillion, Patrick Duffy, David Schwimmer, Julianna Margulies and others. The auctions are scheduled to end April 16.
Jon Hamm
Wins Cybersquatting Case
Jennifer Lopez
American singer and actress Jennifer Lopez has won a cybersquatting case against a U.S. web operator who registered two Internet addresses that used her name for commercial profit, a U.N. agency said on Thursday.
The disputed domain names, jenniferlopez.net and jenniferlopez.org, directed users to a website that generated paid advertising revenues, according to the ruling issued by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
An independent arbitrator ordered the domain names transferred within 10 days to the Jennifer Lopez Foundation, which filed the complaint. The charitable foundation promotes better access to healthcare for women and children.
The Grammy-nominated singer, widely known as J.Lo, joins other celebrities in ousting cybersquatters through the dispute procedure, including Pierce Brosnan, Tom Cruise, Celine Dion, Scarlett Johansson, Nicole Kidman, Madonna and Julia Roberts.
Jennifer Lopez
Acknowledges 'South Park'
Kanye West
"South Park" may have accomplished the impossible - getting Kanye West to check his ego. The Comedy Central show skewered the famously self-important rapper on its show Wednesday night, painting him as a narcissistic figure so out of touch with reality he couldn't even take a (very politically incorrect) joke.
West's love of himself and his work has been almost as integral to his image as his music: Just last year, he told The Associated Press that he was the "voice of this generation." Also recently, he was quoted as saying his greatest regret was not being able to see himself perform live.
Yet, on his blog Thursday, West appeared chastened, and ready to turn over a new leaf.
In typical all-caps mode, he wrote: "SOUTH PARK MURDERED ME LAST NIGHT AND IT'S PRETTY FUNNY. IT HURTS MY FEELINGS BUT WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM SOUTH PARK! I ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON MY EGO THOUGH. HAVING THE CRAZY EGO IS PLAYED OUT IN MY LIFE AND CAREER."
Kanye West
Quits MS Charity
J.K. Rowling
Multi-millionaire Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling said Thursday she had quit as patron of a Scottish charity for multiple sclerosis because the organisation is being ripped apart by an internal row.
Rowling, who has supported the charity for nearly a decade after her mother died from the debilitating disease in 1991, said conflict between MS Society Scotland and management in London had resulted in a host of resignations.
Rowling said she had taken the decision to stand down "with profound sadness and regret" but added that her financial backing for a research project into the disease at Edinburgh University would continue.
She said in a statement: "This disease claimed my mother's life at the age of 45, and I hope to continue giving both time and money to a cause which remains so close to my heart."
J.K. Rowling
Wins £50,000 Green Contest
Cardboard Oven
The cooker took the FT Climate Change Challenge crown after beating 300 other creations, including a food additive which stops cows passing wind.
The Kyoto Box oven - which costs just £3.50 to make - can cook casseroles, boil water and bake bread.
It is made from two boxes, one inside the other with an acrylic cover, which lets the sun's power in and traps it.
Black paint on the inner box and silver foil on the outer help concentrate the heat while a layer of straw or newspaper between the two provides insulation.
Cardboard Oven
Unveils Summer Schedule
ABC
ABC's summer lineup includes a dating show on which contestants can't see each other, Mike Judge's new animated comedy and the return of three canceled dramas.
"Bachelorette" will be followed by the second season of "Here Come the Newlyweds," which will air at 10 p.m. Mondays starting May 25. The network will replace "Newlyweds" on July 20 with the new "Dating in the Dark," on which couples date without seeing each other.
Also new to ABC is "The Superstars," a six-episode physical competition series pitting athletes in events including swimming, biking, running and kayaking. The show is set to bow at 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 23.
At 10 p.m. on Saturdays during the summer, ABC will air the remaining episodes of shows from its former Wednesday lineup: "Pushing Daisies," "Eli Stone" and "Dirty Sexy Money." "Daisies" returns to the schedule May 30 through June 13, "Stone" from June 20 through July 11 and "Money" from July 18 to August 8.
ABC
Chicago-Based Newspaper Further Degrades Journalism
LA Times
The Los Angeles Times has lent some credibility to the phrase that you can't believe everything you read in the newspaper - even if it's on Page One.
The newspaper took the unusual step Thursday of running a front-page advertisement that resembles a news story.
The ad for the new NBC program "Southland" covers half the height of an entire column and appears on the lower half of the page, below the fold. It's labeled as an advertisement at the top but occupies space previously reserved for news. The text is adjacent to a graphical display ad for the show at the bottom of the page.
University of Southern California journalism professor Bryce Nelson said it seemed to be the first time in recent history that an ad resembling a news story appeared on the front page of a major U.S. newspaper - something once common in 19th-century newspapers.
LA Times
Named In Divorce Case
Bruce Springsteen
A New Jersey man who is divorcing his wife has accused rock star Bruce Springsteen of having an affair with her.
Springsteen, who is married to singer Patti Scialfa, was accused by Arthur Kelly of Red Bank, New Jersey, of having an affair with his wife, Ann Kelly, in papers filed in Monmouth County Superior Court on March 27.
Kelly's divorce papers said: "The defendant (Ann Kelly) has committed adultery with one Bruce Springsteen, who resides in Rumson, New Jersey, and Colts Neck, New Jersey, at various times and places too numerous to mention."
Arthur and Ann Kelly have been married for 17 years and have two daughters, aged 10 and 12.
Bruce Springsteen
May Close 6 Hospitals
Shriners
Shriners hospitals, which have provided free care since before the Great Depression, are considering closing a quarter of their facilities as donations stagnate, costs increase and the charity's endowment shrivels.
The group's director says it's the only viable option.
Officials at the Florida-based organization say it is siphoning $1 million a day from its endowment to balance the budget for 22 hospitals in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Meanwhile, they say, that fund has fallen to $5 billion from $8 billion in less than a year because of the sputtering stock market and a charitable giving slump that has hurt philanthropies nationwide. The fund has been declining since 2001. The group will vote this summer on the closures.
Widely known today for burn and orthopedic care for children, the Shriners Hospitals system opened in 1922 with a facility in Shreveport, La., that specialized in treating polio. By the 1960s, the group had hospitals nationwide and expanded its care to include spinal cord injury rehabilitation, cleft lip and palate care and medical research.
More than 1 million children have been treated at the hospitals, which were created by the fraternal organization of the same name whose members are known for wearing red fezzes and driving miniature cars in parades. The care is free to all.
Shriners
Tax Evaders
California
California's budget deficit would shrink by nearly $5 million if singer Dionne Warwick and comedian Sinbad Adkins would pay their taxes.
They are among the state's biggest tax scofflaws, according to a report issued Thursday by the Franchise Tax Board.
Sinbad owes $2.5 million in personal income tax while Warwick owes $2.2 million, putting them in the top 10 of the state's 250 worst tax debtors.
Debtors can get their name off the list by paying up or agreeing to an installment plan. Board spokeswoman Brenda Vote says she cannot discuss individual cases.
California
Cable Nielsens
Ratings
Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the week of March 30-April 5. Day and start time (EDT) are in parentheses:
1. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.69 million homes, 5.39 million viewers.
2. "WWE Raw" (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.31 million homes, 4.99 million viewers.
3. "NCIS" (Tuesday, 7 p.m.), USA, 3.26 million homes, 4.25 million viewers.
4. "NCIS" (Wednesday, 7 p.m.), USA, 3.17 million homes, 4.25 million viewers.
5. "NCIS" (Monday, 7 p.m.), USA, 3.13 million homes, 4.04 million viewers.
6. "The O'Reilly Factor" (Wednesday, 8 p.m.), Fox News Channel, 2.99 million homes, 3.93 million viewers.
7. "Penguins of Madagascar" (Sunday, 10 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.96 million homes, 4.02 million viewers.
8. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.947 million homes, 3.91 million viewers.
9. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Saturday, 9 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.942 million homes, 3.7 million viewers.
10. "Penguins of Madagascar" (Sunday, 10:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.9 million homes, 3.99 million viewers.
11. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Sunday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.895 million homes, 3.81 million viewers.
12. "Penguins of Madagascar" (Saturday, 10 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.894 million homes, 4.03 million viewers.
13. "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Sunday, 9 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.82 million homes, 3.49 million viewers.
14. "NCIS" (Wednesday, 6 p.m.), USA, 2.76 million homes, 3.58 million viewers.
15. "NCIS" (Thursday, 7 p.m.), USA, 2.7 million homes, 3.64 million viewers.
Ratings
Shit-Canned By Faux - Correction
Roger Friedman
In an April 6 story about Roger Friedman's departure from FoxNews.com over his writeup of the leaked movie "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," The Associated Press incorrectly described his position. He was chief entertainment columnist for the site, not a contributing writer.
Also, the story reported that Friedman downloaded a print of the movie. However, Friedman contends he encountered the movie during an unrelated Internet search and pressed "play" to watch it.
Roger Friedman
In Memory
Dave Arneson
Dave Arneson, one of the co-creators of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy game and a pioneer of role-playing entertainment, died after a two-year battle with cancer, his family said Thursday. He was 61.
Arneson's daughter, Malia Weinhagen of Maplewood, said her father died peacefully Tuesday in hospice care in St. Paul.
Arneson and Gary Gygax developed Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 using medieval characters and mythical creatures. The game known for its oddly shaped dice became a hit, particularly among teenage boys. It eventually was turned into video games, books and movies. Gygax died in March 2008.
Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters and carry out their adventures with the help of complicated rules. The quintessential geek pastime, it spawned copycat games and later inspired a whole genre of computer games that's still growing in popularity.
Arneson and Gygax were dedicated tabletop wargamers who recreated historical battles with painted miniature armies and fleets. They met in 1969 at a convention, and their first collaboration, along with Mike Carr, was a set of rules for sailing-ship battles called "Don't Give Up the Ship!"
In later years, Arneson published other role-playing games and started his own game-publishing company and computer game company. He also taught classes in game design. He was inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design Hall of Fame in 1984.
Arneson is survived by Weinhagen and two grandchildren. A public memorial service was planned April 20, from 4 to 8 p.m., at Bradshaw Funeral Home in St. Paul.
Dave Arneson
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