I've been saving up questions from you readers for a
while now. This is the perfect week for me to answer of
them as September is almost here, & many of you will be
back in school soon, with few brain cells left over
after studying. Mostly, I get asked "Do you want to
exchange pictures?" .Lol. Then I get lots of people
asking for favours. I like to answer those. I usually do
know the answers, especially if it's "no!".
Here's a tough one that I get asked often.
Q: "Where can I find the pella to...?"
A: I mostly
say this site or that site, but sometimes I give advice
on how to create your own. I recommend doing
center-speaker extractions from dvd's. They often
provide the best & clearest pellas with maybe only a
bassline as accompaniment. Another good way is to do
searches with specific wording. Google hasn't much
help, but altavista & ask jeeves yield fine results for
the most part. If you stumble upon an index page
already assembled, you'll find lots of stuff to get you
going.
Q: " How do you decide what to mash?"
A: I almost
always pick the instrumental part of the track
first.It entails cutting, or removing the original
vocals. After removing the vocals, you are left with
substantially less music, so you need to lengthen it by
looping & pasting. Make sure you gain the complete beat
sequence, or it will sound out of time & be impossible
to add to successfully. I never work with tracks I
don't like, so that helps decide what to attempt. After
you've created a "bed" for your pella, it's much easier
to decide what words to apply.
Q: "Do you have to keep the vocals in the same
rhythmic patterns?"
A: Not at all. Often, they require
adding much space inbetween. All the mixing programs
allow you to change the pacing of the words, along with
the pitching. There is also software that you enables
you to affect intonation & emphasis. I was doing a boot
with Steppenwolf's "Born To be Wild" vocals & found
that the space between lines needed to be doubled. If
you find a section that doesn't seem to fit, I say lose
it & try some other vocals for that part. There's no
reason you have to use only the one song's vocals.
Q: "How do you tell if the pitches in a track are
out of key?"
A: If you don't have the ear for
detecting pitch problems, it's no cause for shame. Even
the experts make a mistake occasionally. I advise
employing a keyboard to check pitch, or failing that
method, try pitch-detecting software. A very helpful
method is to ask someone else for their
opinion. Usually, folks are all-too-happy to check out
your track. In fact, most of the mashup/bootleg forums
have tutorials or actual "tweak" sections to post the
tracks you are unsure about. Dont fear any social
stigma, it's a sign of strength to take risks.
Q: "Why make long mixes?"
A: It relates partially
to sustaining the crowd's interest on the dance
floor, but home mixers love them for the track
selection & streaming flow of melody & rhythm. There's
your common, everyday mixtape-type mix where the tracks
play back to back. They sure beat radio on a long trip
for providing personal faves. The most popular form
involves intricate inter-weaving of the beats to
preserve an uninterrupted continuation of
enjoyment. Mainly, mixes of this latter nature use edits
of the music & not the full piece. The last answer is
because it's so easy to put on a mix & not have to
bother with the stereo for a good long while. I look
to a mix before a cd by one artist most of the time.
If y'all have any more questions,post them to me at DJ Useo
& I'll attempt to answer
them.
Mix Of The Week - This Is Electro Rap In The Mix
Mixed By DJ MXR - Intro by ScotOnTheLoop. Not as long
as many full-disc mixes, but a finestkind piece. It
moves through old skool rap like Eric B & Rakim, & Fat
Boys alongside electro like Kraftwerk & Cybotron with
lots of cool samples placed strategically
throughout.MXR is one of my fave bootleg mixers & also
provides excellent mashups - djmxr.multiply.com/music/item/150
Sorry, registration required for this one
If you must surf on the web & drive, pick a
designated browser.
Jim Hightower: DEMOCRATS CAVE IN TO BUSH FEARMONGERING (jimhightower.com)
Once upon a time, America had a strong president who reassured the American people that, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." Now we have a weak president who tells us that we must be fearful of all things all the time, using fear as a political pump to inflate his own ego and power.
Evan Wolfson: Why the Dems Should Not Shut Up About Gays and Marriage Vows (tnr.com)
On Election Day one makes decisions whom to vote for by determining which outcome in a (usually binary) choice will better advance one's interests and values, and the well-being of our loved ones, our country, etc. As Representative Barney Frank wisely says, voting is not dating; you may have to accept imperfection. But at this early stage in a very long campaign, there is no need to write off the possibility of getting that binary choice as good as possible.
Annalee Newitz: The Trouble with Anonymity on the Web
Anonymity online is on the rise, allowing people to write, lie and manipulate data without feeling responsible for it. But who's doing all this hiding? Hint: It's not angry, pajama-wearing bloggers.
'How much fame do you really need?' (guardian.co.uk)
Despite being best known for her role in Roseanne and her turbulent friendship with Madonna, it's the biting, cynical sarcasm of her stage shows that Sandra Bernhard's fans love. Emma Brockes meets her.
Andrew Waggoner: The Colonization of Silence (newmusicbox.org)
The colonization of silence is complete. Its progress was so gradual that even those who watched it with alarm have only now begun to take stock of the losses. Reflection, discernment, a sustainable sense of tranquility, of knowing where and how to find oneself-these are only the most obvious casualties of marauding noise's march to the sea. Much more insidious has been the loss of music itself.
David Bruce: "Wise Up: Music" (athensnews.com)
On my office door I have an old cartoon that says, "We can not let 1,877 (going on 1,878) soldiers die in vain." Now, of course, the number of American soldiers who have died is over 3,690. Recently, I heard on a Zanesville (Ohio) radio station Edwin Starr's anti-war anthem "War" ("What is it good for? Absolutely nothin'.") It's about time. Remember: Support the troops. Bring them home.
Book Review: David Bruce's "The Kindest People Who Do Good Deeds, Vol. 1" (evidenceofhumanity.org)
What a great idea for a book. Based on the premise that we become what we do and think about, author David Bruce gives us much to ponder. Many of us know that doing good deeds when we are able to is uplifting, admirable, and just the right thing to do. But we don't necessarily do them as a matter of habit, or integrate them into our daily activities where they might become regular, automatic patterns of thought and behavior. We perhaps haven't learned to see ourselves that way. The Kindest People Who Do Good Deeds provides a pleasant and entertaining nudge in that direction.
Welcome to Evidence of Humanity (evidenceofhumanity.org)
This site is launched to offer simple evidence that where people come together to better their world, good things happen. It is our hope that you will send us your own stories, tips, insights and artwork that we might include here. Please do.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of the South Park TV show, have done some neat animations to some of Alan Watts' recordings of his lectures. They were originally done at the Pacifica radio station in Berkeley.
Alan Watts was an Anglican minister in England who became a member of the first Buddhist Society in England when he was a child. He moved to San Francisco eventually, and started writing many books and lecturing on Zen Buddhism, and hung out with the assorted beatniks of the times. He knew Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, Robert Anton Wilson, Aldous Huxley, and Timothy Leary.
CBS starts the night with a FRESH'Power Of 10', followed by a RERUN'Criminal Minds', then a RERUN'CSI: The 3rd One'.
Scheduled on a FRESHDave are Richard Gere, Tom Dreesen, and Velvet Revolver.
Scheduled on a FRESHCraig are Tom Lennon, Elizabeth Perkins, and Wendy Kamenoff.
NBC opens the night with a RERUN'Most Outrageous Moments', followed by a FRESH'Last Comic Standing', then 'Dateline'.
On a RERUNLeno (from 7/18/07) are Sandra Bullock, Chris Matthews, and Suzanne Vega.
On a RERUNConan (from 5/18/07) are Luke Wilson, Oscar Nunez, and Blonde Redhead.
On a RERUNCarson Daly (from 7/11/07) are Amaury Nolasco and Lifehouse.
ABC begins the night with a FRESH'Jim', followed by another FRESH'Jim', then 'Primetime: The Outsiders', followed by a FRESH'NASCAR In Primetime'.
On a RERUNJimmy Kimmel (from 8/1/07) are Marc Anthony, Katee Sackhoff, and Jim Norton.
The CW offers a RERUN'America's Next Top Model', followed by another RERUN'America's Next Top Model'.
Faux has the SERIES PREMIERE of another fake 'reality' show 'Anchorslut', followed by A RERUN'Bones'.
MY has the '2007 Taurus World Stunt Awards'.
A&E has 'CSI: The 2nd One', another 'CSI: The 2nd One', still another 'CSI: The 2nd One', and 'The Sopranos'.
AMC offers the movie 'Cape Fear', followed by the movie 'Diee Hard With A Vengeance', then the movie 'Black Dog'.
BBC -
[12:00 PM] Cash in the Attic - Episode 3;
[1:00 PM] Everything Must Go - Episode 18;
[1:30 PM] Everything Must Go - Episode 19;
[2:00 PM] The Weakest Link - Episode 21;
[3:00 PM] How Clean Is Your House? - Episode 18;
[3:30 PM] How Clean Is Your House? - Episode 1;
[4:00 PM] How Clean Is Your House? - Episode 6;
[4:30 PM] Whose Line Is It Anyway? - Episode 3;
[5:00 PM] Whose Line Is It Anyway? - Episode 2;
[5:30 PM] Whose Line Is It Anyway? - Episode 3;
[6:00 PM] My Family - Ep. 3 Desperately Squeaking Susan;
[6:30 PM] My Family - Ep. 4 Of Mice and Ben;
[7:00 PM] BBC World News;
[7:30 PM] How Clean Is Your House? - Episode 3;
[8:00 PM] Hotel Babylon - Episode 2;
[9:00 PM] Hotel Babylon - Episode 3;
[10:00 PM] Coupling - Ep. 3 Unconditional Sex;
[10:40 PM] The World Stands Up - Episode 18;
[11:00 PM] Hotel Babylon - Episode 2;
[12:00 AM] Hotel Babylon - Episode 3;
[1:00 AM] Coupling - Ep. 3 Unconditional Sex;
[1:40 AM] The World Stands Up - Episode 18;
[2:00 AM] The Weakest Link - Episode 1;
[3:00 AM] Hollyoaks - Episode 58;
[3:30 AM] Changing Rooms - Ep. 16 Camberwell;
[4:00 AM] Bargain Hunt - Ep. 7 Harrogate 43;
[4:30 AM] Bargain Hunt - Ep. 8 Oakington 57;
[5:00 AM] Cash in the Attic - Ep. 20 Hirst;
[5:30 AM] Cash in the Attic - Ep. 21 Innes;
[6:00 AM] BBC World News. (ALL TIMES EDT)
Comedy Central has 'Scrubs', another 'Scrubs', last night's 'Jon Stewart', last night's 'Colbert Report', 'Reno 911!', 'South Park', another 'South Park', and 'Lil' Bush'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJon Stewart is Sen. Barack Obama.
Scheduled on a FRESHColbert Report is Richard Branson.
FX has the movie 'Independence Day', followed by the movie 'The Day After Tomorrow', then a FRESH'Rescue Me'.
History has 'Modern Marvels', another 'Modern Marvels', 'Lost Worlds', and 'Pacific Bermuda Triangle'.
IFC -
[06:50 AM] IFC Short Film Showcase;
[07:50 AM] Garage Days;
[09:40 AM] The Prime Gig;
[11:20 AM] Secrets & Lies;
[01:45 PM] Garage Days;
[03:35 PM] The Prime Gig;
[05:20 PM] The Henry Rollins Show #318: Samuel L. Jackson/Manu Chao;
[05:50 PM] A Love Song For Bobby Long;
[08:00 PM] The Business #203: Lance-A-Lot;
[08:30 PM] Minor Accomplishments #203: Bad Luck Brad;
[09:00 PM] Polyester;
[10:25 PM] Hedwig and The Angry Inch;
[12:00 AM] Indie Sex: Extremes;
[01:15 AM] Indie Sex: Teens;
[02:30 AM] Hedwig and The Angry Inch;
[04:05 AM] A Love Song For Bobby Long. (ALL TIMES EDT)
SciFi has 'Ghost Hunters', another 'Ghost Hunters', still another 'Ghost Hunters', and 'Mind Control With Derren Brown'.
Sundance -
[05:00 AM] Tony Takitani;
[07:00 AM] Music Rising;
[07:00 AM] Lucie Aubrac;
[09:00 AM] The Man Who Became King;
[11:00 AM] Going All the Way;
[12:00 PM] Seven Times Lucky;
[02:00 PM] Yves St. Laurent: 5 Avenue Marceau 75116 Paris;
[03:00 PM] Lucie Aubrac;
[05:00 PM] Going All the Way;
[07:00 PM] Seven Times Lucky;
[09:00 PM] Episode 1: The Line Up;
[09:00 PM] Harvie Krumpet;
[10:00 PM] We Have Arrived Bonnaroo 2004;
[11:00 PM] The Celebration;
[01:00 AM] The Gingerbread Man (1998);
[03:00 AM] Dear Wendy;
[05:00 AM] We Have Arrived Bonnaroo 2004. (ALL TIMES EDT)
Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter smiles as he holds a Spanish classical guitar in a factory in Esquivias, central Madrid, August 13, 2007. Carter is coming to movie theaters in a documentary centered on his controversial book about the Middle East.
Photo by Sergio Perez
MSGOP's "Countdown With Keith Olbermann" is getting a wider look on sister network NBC.
Olbermann's hourlong news show will get its first primetime broadcast network exposure when it leads into a preseason "Sunday Night Football" game this weekend. "Countdown" will air from 7-8 p.m. EST, followed by the Philadelphia Eagles-Pittsburgh Steelers game.
"Countdown" has been a plucky competitor at 8 p.m. to the reigning cable news champion "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News Channel. ("O'Reilly" still wins by a walk.) And it's a star performer on MSGOP's recent ratings successes, thanks to Olbermann's buzzworthy commentary and quirky style. Sunday's show will be live from MSGOP's studios.
The former ESPN "SportsCenter" anchor will return to his sports roots with a supporting role on this year's "Sunday Night Football in America" telecasts.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Harper Lee is a woman of few words and generally avoids media interviews and public appearances.
But the author of "To Kill a Mockingbird" broke her silence briefly Monday at a ceremony inducting four new members, including former home-run king Hank Aaron, into the Alabama Academy of Honor. Lee, who lives in Monroeville, is a member of the academy, which honors living Alabamians, and was in the audience for Monday's ceremony.
At the end of the ceremony, Academy of Honor chairman Tom Carruthers joked with Lee, saying he knew she had something she wanted to say to the crowd.
"Well it's better to be silent than to be a fool," Lee said.
The audience burst into laughter and gave Lee a standing ovation.
Brad Pitt talks before a news conference with Global Green USA at a environmentally friendly house under construction in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2007.
Photo by Alex Brandon
US media reports related to the war in Iraq fell dramatically in the second quarter of this year, a new study revealed Monday, as the 2008 presidential race gathered pace.
A report by the Washington-based Project for Excellence in Journalism found that in the three-month period covering April, May and June, reports on Iraq tumbled from 22 to roughly 15 percent.
That fall was attributed to a decline in coverage of the Washington-based policy debate, which slumped by 42 percent after Democrats failed to impose timetables in legislation of the war, the study said.
Coverage of the war was divided into three strands -- events in Iraq (seven percent), Iraq policy debate (seven) and Iraq homefront (two) -- according to the survey of 13 newspapers, eight radio outlets, cable and network television.
Liberals read more books than conservatives. The head of the book publishing industry's trade group says she knows why - and there's little flattering about conservative readers in her explanation.
"The Karl Roves of the world have built a generation that just wants a couple slogans: 'No, don't raise my taxes, no new taxes,'" Pat Schroeder, president of the American Association of Publishers, said in a recent interview. "It's pretty hard to write a book saying, 'No new taxes, no new taxes, no new taxes' on every page."
Schroeder, who as a Colorado Democrat was once one of Congress' most liberal House members, was responding to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll that found people who consider themselves liberals are more prodigious book readers than conservatives.
The political left and the political right will join forces on Fox's "24" this coming season. Janeane Garofalo, an outspoken liberal, is set to co-star on the conservative-leaning real-time drama, whose co-creator/executive producer Joel Surnow jokingly describes himself as a "right-wing nut job."
Garofalo will play a government agent who is part of the team investigating the crisis befalling Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) and company in the upcoming season.
Garofalo is the second major cast addition to the action drama, which is going through a major revamping coming off a lackluster sixth season. Cherry Jones was tapped last month to play the new president.
Deadpan comic and sitcom star Bob Newhart was one of three finalists announced Tuesday for the Thurber Prize for American Humor, a $5,000 literary honor named for the famed author and humorist James Thurber.
Newhart, 77, was nominated for his memoir, "I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This!" The other finalists were Merrill Markoe, for "Walking in Circles Before Lying Down," and Joe Keenan, for "My Lucky Star."
If you're hoping to buy O.J. Simpson's "If I Did It," don't expect to find a copy at Barnes & Noble.
Citing a perceived lack of customer interest, the chain said the book would only be available by special order or for purchase online through Barnes & Noble.com.
A rival chain, Borders Group Inc., said Tuesday that it would stock "If I Did It," a fictionalized account of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. But spokeswoman Ann Binkley said Borders "will not promote or market the book in any way."
Creme Soda, a Maine Coon cat, waits with a Cowboy hat before competing in the South Central regional cat show sponsored by The International Cat Association in Waco, Texas August 19, 2007.
Photo by Larry Downing
A handgun stolen from an exhibit during last week's commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death has been recovered.
Surveillance video showed a man reaching into a display case at the "Elvis After Dark" exhibit at Graceland, Presley's mansion, and removing a black, 9 mm Smith & Wesson pistol on Aug 14.
Travis Brookins turned the gun over to police Monday after the theft was reported by news media.
Brookins said he was cleaning portable toilets behind the exhibit hall last Thursday when he found the gun in the muck. Unaware the weapon had been stolen, Brookins took it home and cleaned it.
A woman has proven through DNA testing that she is a child of the late James Brown, said a longtime adviser to the soul singer. The woman is the third person to determine through DNA testing done after Brown's death that the singer is their father, Buddy Dallas told The Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle on Monday.
About a dozen DNA tests have been performed. Some people have been ruled out as Brown's children, while other tests are pending, said Dallas, who would not release details about any of the newly found children.
One possible child of Brown's who hasn't had a DNA test is 6-year-old James Brown II, the son of Tomi Rae Hynie. Hynie was one of Brown's backup singers and said she is the singer's fourth wife. But Brown's attorneys continue to dispute that claim, and the boy and his mother are not in the singer's will.
"She believes all the children should be treated equally," Hynie's attorney, Robert Rosen said. "If all the children agree to a DNA test, she will consent to one for James II."
Visitors stroll through a field of Cosmos sulphureus at the Hamarikyu Garden in Tokyo Sunday, Aug. 19. 2007. Some 150,000 Cosmos sulphureus were full bloom in the park.
Photo by Itsuo Inouye
When Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. acquired MySpace nearly two years ago for a relative steal at $580 million, the social networking site's explosive user growth made many competitors envious.
Now that closely held rival Facebook has become the latest networking darling, some industry observers have wondered whether MySpace's audience gains have peaked and how that would affect its overall financial picture.
The latest audience data show that it continues to expand faster than most top competitors except for Facebook, in a sign that there is more upside for the social networking heavyweight. News Corp. brass and Wall Street folks said MySpace has managed to boost its advertising rates and thereby profitability, making it less dependent on big future audience growth.
Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Aug. 13-19. Listings include the week's ranking, with viewership for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses. An "X" in parentheses denotes a one-time-only presentation.
1. (35) "America's Got Talent," NBC, 10.83 million viewers.
2. (27) "60 Minutes," CBS, 9.91 million viewers.
3. (41) "Singing Bee," NBC, 9.73 million viewers.
4. (60) "Hell's Kitchen," Fox, 9.68 million viewers.
5. (45) "So You Think You Can Dance" (Thursday), Fox, 9.61 million viewers.
6. (7) "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 9.49 million viewers.
7. (20) "Two and a Half Men," CBS, 9.22 million viewers.
8. (22) "Without a Trace," CBS, 9.10 million viewers.
9. (58) "So You Think You Can Dance" (Wednesday), Fox, 8.68 million viewers.
10. (20) "NCIS," CBS, 8.53 million viewers.
11. (22) "Criminal Minds," CBS, 8.26 million viewers.
12. (25) "Cold Case," CBS, 8.24 million viewers.
13. (13) "CSI: Miami," CBS, 8.2 million viewers.
14. (22) "CSI: NY," CBS, 8.14 million viewers.
15. (X) "So You Think Can Dance" (Monday) Fox, 7.87 million viewers.
16. (80) "Power of Ten," CBS, 7.67 million viewers.
17. (89) "Big Brother 8" (Tuesday), CBS, 7.56 million viewers.
18. (29) "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," ABC, 7.55 million viewers.
19. (89) "Big Brother 8" (Thursday), CBS, 7.51 million viewers.
20. (100) "Big Brother 8" (Sunday), CBS, 7.38 million viewers.
Houston Zoo's new baby Masai giraffe is nuzzled by her mother Noel in her second public appearance Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2007, in Houston. According to the zoo, she is approximately two-weeks old, about 5 foot 9 inches and 120 pounds.
Photo by Kevin Fujii
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