M Is FOR MASHUP - December 30th, 2008
mARKYbOY's Before & After New Years' Eve
By DJ Useo
I realize there's lots of competition for your musical interest over New Years' Eve, but here're a bunch of excellent mashup tunes that are designed to maximize your holiday experience. mARKYbOY has just made available 2 damn fine long sets of his mashup mixes intended to help you out in the hours leading up to New Years' Eve & then when you regain consciousness the morning after. mARKYBOY's 'THE NIGHT BEFORE' ( http://markyboymashed.blogspot.com/2009/12/night-before-2009.html ) is over an hour & a half of danceable, appealing tracks using such popular source artists as Garbage, HelloGoodbye, David Bowie, & the Scissor Sisters, & among many more. They're arranged in a special sequence that will keep you on your feet & celebrating!
Then, if you survive, he's also providing a wonderful chill piece, mARKYbOY's 'THE MORNING AFTER' ( http://markyboymashed.blogspot.com/2009/12/morning-after-2009.html ) , an hour & ten minutes of relaxed, memorable tracks that will ease your transition back to the world of sobriety the next day. In this work, you'll encounter the likes of Lily Allen, The Supremes, Billy Joel, & Carly Simon all combined in the modern mashup way that has endeared itself to you all. Listening to these 2 sections will assist you in elevating this New Years' Eve to the status of unforgettable. Who knows, you may even want to name any kids (or big O's) that result after mARKYbOY himself. lol!
mARKYbOY has been mixing & releasing successful bootlegs for some time now, & he's at the top of his game with well-known mashups like 'Mr Won 'd' Wall' (Amy Macdonald vs Oasis), 'Party Like A Californian' (Red Hot Chili Peppers vs The Eagle vs Shop Boyz), & 'One Way Rebel' (Blondie vs Billy Idol).
mARKYbOY 's work can be found all over the net, like at http://www.gybo5.com/ , http://www.sound-unsound.com, & http://www.mashstix.com, but also at his new blog page ( http://www.markyboymashed.blogspot.com/ ).
mARKYbOY has had tracks on splendid mashup comps like the Sound-Unsound SUMMER UNSOUND reggaeton mashup album, & on his his own releases 'Black to Back: Amy Winehouse Mashed' & 'mARKYbOY's Motown Mashed'. He's been heard on many bootleg radio shows, plus occasional appearances in the biggest bootleg podcast RAMDOM THOUGHTS ( http://ramdomthoughts.com ). You can enjoy watching many of his fine mashup videos on his site or just ask at any of the video-hosting sites.
These 2 new releases will send you right 'round the bend into happyville this New Years' Eve, so grab them now before you're blinded by all the confetti. You'll see why his site is nearing a million & a half views.
Mix Of The Week
Ace Of Club's 'Club Countdown '09' gives you the best club tracks mixed in the best of styles. You even get different versions to choose from in case you have to hurry, or have plenty of time, whichever.
There's 100 songs in just over 50 minutes, 10 tracks in 40 minutes, or even 10 tracks in 6 minutes.
Don't miss out on this gem of an experience.Grab yours here - ( http://www.clubcountdown.blogspot.com/ )
Newest Useo track -'The Comfortable Christmas Song' (Mel Torme vs Kinobe) is a bit late now, but you're sure to still enjoy it. Impress your lounge music friends by getting it here - ( http://groovytimewithdjuseo.blogspot.com/2009/12/comfortable-christmas-song-mel-torme-vs.html )
Also, come by Sound-Unsound ( http://streams.sound-unsound.com/start/wadio/ ) New Years' Eve to hear all-new mixing of new wave, acid house, & then the latest techno by yours truly. I'm away from the spouse for the holidays, but I'll still be dj-ing her party, & hopefully yours too. It starts at 8 pm gmt 5 pm est for the Europeans, then again at 3 am gmt 10 pm est for us state-side folk. Listen for the countdown at midnight!
CONTEST TIME - Part 5 ----The Winner!!!!!!
Take some cartoon characters and put them all in the same frame. That was the theme, & here's the winning entry!
Thanks to Genie Knee for this pic. Contact me useo8@yahoo.com or Marty here at BARTCOP E & tell us what you want me to draw you for your prize. Be sure & include an address for me to mail your drawing to. Big congrats!
Mashup Tip : Add pitch & tempo to your mashups for that 'extra' zing!
DJ Useo's Podcast
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
In Memory of Maryanne Amacher (nytimes.com)
Alvin Curran recalls the life of a friend steeped in music, science and the joy of sound.
WILL LAYMAN: "A Chance to be Uncanned: An Interview with Melody Gardot" (popmatters.co)
Melody Gardot talks about how she got switched from classical to jazz, why she decided to cover "Over the Rainbow", and how a "lust for comfort destroys the passion of the soul".
Geoff Boucher: Steve Martin is a wild and busy guy (latimes.com)
The 'It's Complicated' star and Grammy nominee has lots of projects: movies, books, music. Now all he needs is more time.
Michael Bond: "Clever fools: Why a high IQ doesn't mean you're smart" (newscientist.com)
George W. Bush has an IQ well above average, but even his admirers have a low opinion of his intellect. And he's not alone: many apparently "smart" people act foolishly a lot of the time. To understand this, we have to go beyond IQ, to RQ - a test of people's rationality.
Michael Marshall: Five laws of human nature (newscientist.com)
You're so predictable. Offended? We're used to the idea that nature is governed by laws that spell out how things work. But the idea that human nature is governed by such laws raises hackles. Perhaps because of this, they have often been proposed with tongue in cheek - which makes it all the more disconcerting when they turn out to be backed up by evidence.
Mark Buchanan: Why your boss is incompetent (newscientist.com)
The Peter Principle appeals to the cynic in all of us. It is also quite possibly true, if academic studies can be trusted. It explains your boss...
Colin Covert: Emily Blunt strapped herself into a corset to make an old monarch young again (Star Tribune)
Victoria is a typical teenager: feisty, music-loving fashionista, dance-mad and boy crazy, but hemmed in by the boring adults who want to control her life. The time is the 1830s, the place, Buckingham Palace, and Emily Blunt has "the role of my career, so far" as Her Royal Highness Princess Victoria of Kent, who is about to become England's youngest and longest-reigning ruler.
Steven Rea: Playing Orson Welles, and defending him (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
"Like a complete idiot, I gave him the names of famous Hollywood stars who I thought could play Orson Welles," says Christian McKay, recalling his first conversation with Richard Linklater.
Richard Roeper's best films: Love, war, liars and basterds (suntimes.com)
1. "Brothers." A brilliant, beautiful, harsh, gut-punching, 21st century war story with Biblical overtones. Some critics said Jim Sheridan's adaptation of the great Danish film to be too glossy and heavy-handed, but I found it to be just as profound as the original.
Liz Pulliam Weston: Play the percentages to pay off debt (latimes.com)
Manage spending with a 50/30/20 divvy of your after-tax income.
Ian Sample: Grow-your-own to replace false teeth (guardian.co.uk)
The British institution of dentures sitting in a glass of water beside the bed could be rendered obsolete by scientists who are confident that people will soon be able to replace lost teeth by growing new ones.
Instead of false teeth, a small ball of cells capable of growing into a new tooth will be implanted where the missing one used to be.
David Bruce: Wise Up! Good Deeds (athensnews.com)
When Christopher Paul Curtis, author of the children's book "Bud, Not Buddy," was 10 years old, he opened the door of his home and found a group of strange men outside. He remembered his father's rule about not opening the door to strangers, and worried, but the men were people from the factory where his father worked. His father spent months tutoring them in math, so that they could get better-paying jobs at the factory.
Mikhaela Reid: Cartoon on Lack of Women Writers in Late-Night TV
noted:
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Turns out the repairs to the back-up computer were inadequate, and from the noises (today it sounds like a metronome with a timing problem), it's about to become a fancy doorstop, again.
Like that little ditty on 'Hee-Haw' - if it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all.
After a couple of weeks of begging, I've almost cleared enough to pay for the repairs to my old computers.
Does anyone really think I'd still be using a crappy dial-up if I could afford a better connection?
Have I ever mentioned my car is 22 years old?
Or that the crown that fell off can't be just glued back on?
And there's more.
It's simple economics.
I appreciate the help you've sent, but as it currently stands, the last page will be Monday (01/04/10).
I'm not giving up hope that things may still work out. OTOH, I am familiar with reality.
Top Cable Channel
USA
Not only was USA the most-watched cable network again this year, the channel increased its total primetime audience by 15% -- more than any of its top competitors.
USA's drama-series hit factory ("In Plain Sight," "Monk") grew along with "True Blood"-fueled pay network HBO (+41%), and BET (+23%), the latter boosted by its coverage of Michael Jackson's death. Food Network (+26%) cooked up a good year, "Jon & Kate" helped TLC (+18%) and sophomore hit "Sons of Anarchy" aided FX (+10%).
On the downside, CNN (-30%) fell more than any other cable network. Lifetime, despite gaining sampling with "Project Runway," dropped sharply (-20%), as did competitor Hallmark (-18%). Several MTV Networks brands slumped, with SpikeTV (-17%), Comedy Central (-10%) and MTV (-10%) down.
For the list: USA
Comedy Central Not Renewing
`The Jeff Dunham Show'
Comedy Central won't be renewing "The Jeff Dunham Show" for a second season.
The show, featuring comedian Jeff Dunham and his repertoire of puppets, attracted plenty of attention, both positive and negative. Its debut drew 5.3 million viewers, a season premiere record for Comedy Central. But most of the reviews were terrible, and ratings dwindled during the season.
Comedy Central spokesman Steve Albani says the network will continue "to be in business with Jeff in a big way," including a live tour, standup special, DVDs and consumer-products partnership.
Comedy Central signed a multi-platform deal with Dunham in March.
`The Jeff Dunham Show'
Hosts New Members of Movie History
Margaret Herrick Library
For 81 years, she has amassed movie memorabilia. Her collection now includes more than 10 million photographs, 80,000 screenplays and 35,000 movie posters dating back to when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded in 1927.
So it's fitting that the Margaret Herrick Library played host to the future of the film industry when it welcomed this year's crop of Oscar voters at a private reception honoring the newest members of the academy.
Surrounded by movie history, these new members celebrated becoming part of it.
"This organization first handed out awards in 1929 and I'm connected to that," said David Kaminow, who just joined the public relations branch. "It's having an attachment to the history of movies."
Margaret Herrick Library
Stasi Files To Be Published
Günter Grass
A new book showing the huge lengths the East German secret police, the Stasi, went to in order to spy on Nobel Prize-winning author Günter Grass will go on sale in March, its publisher said Tuesday.
The Stasi first began to keep tabs on Grass, Germany's best-known post-war writer, in 1961 when he wrote an open letter attacking the construction of the Berlin Wall by the communist German Democratic Republic (GDR), the book shows.
"Grass was unbelievably well known in the GDR. His books were banned for decades, but everybody knew him. He often visited the GDR and people would say, 'That's Grass'," said Kai Schlueter, the new book's author.
But when Grass, whose best-known book "The Tin Drum" had come out in 1959, visited East Germany, where he would give readings, the Stasi would attempt to follow his every move, giving him the code name "Bolzen" ("bolt").
Schlueter said that he was of particular interest to the Stasi because unlike other "easy ideological targets" like West German chancellor Konrad Adenauer, Grass, as an active supporter of the Social Democratic Party who backed party icon Willy Brandt's election campaign in the 1960s and 70s, was seen as a more insidious threat.
Günter Grass
More Lies
Rupert TV
Fox Network's top executive said on Tuesday that asking Time Warner Cable to pay $1 per subscriber for the right to carry the Fox Broadcast network is reasonable and suggested that other networks like CBS would ask for similar fees in the future.
Tony Vinciquerra, chief executive of News Corp's Fox Networks Group, said the future of the broadcast TV business depends on getting fair value for the investments it makes in high-end entertainment and sports programs like "American Idol" and NFL football games.
Fox is in 11th-hour talks with Time Warner Cable Inc, the second largest U.S. cable operator, to negotiate a monthly subscriber fee for the right to carry the free-to-air broadcast network.
The current contract ends on midnight Thursday. If an agreement is not reached by then Fox could go off the air in major Time Warner Cable markets like New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas and Orlando.
Rupert TV
Journalist Group Slams
NBC
The Society of Professional Journalists condemned NBC News for practicing "checkbook journalism" by chartering a jet that carried a New Jersey man involved in a bitter custody battle and his son home from Brazil.
David Goldman, who successfully fought the Brazilian family of his now-deceased ex-wife for custody of 9-year-old Sean, granted an interview to Meredith Vieira of NBC's "Today" show that aired Monday.
NBC said Goldman was booked for "Today" before the network invited him on the plane. The network had already arranged for the plane to bring its own employees home for Christmas, NBC News spokeswoman Lauren Kapp said. If NBC hadn't brought the Goldmans' home, one of its rivals would have, she said.
NBC News told viewers that it had paid for the Goldmans' trip home, she said. The network showed pictures of the Goldmans on the plane and on "Nightly News" featured a brief interview by correspondent Jeff Rossen with David Goldman while both were on the plane.
NBC
Japanese Researchers Develop
See-Through Goldfish
First came see-through frogs. Now Japanese researchers have succeeded in producing goldfish whose beating hearts can be seen through translucent scales and skin.
The transparent creatures are part of efforts to reduce the need for dissections, which have become increasingly controversial, particularly in schools.
"You can see a live heart and other organs because the scales and skin have no pigments," said Yutaka Tamaru, an associate professor in the department of life science at Mie University.
The joint team of researchers at Mie University and Nagoya University in central Japan produced the "ryukin" goldfish by picking mutant hatchery goldfish with pale skin and breeding them together.
See-Through Goldfish
San Francisco's Have Vanished
Sea Lions
Last month, marine scientists counted more than 1,500 sea lions on fabled Pier 39, a record number that delighted tourists and baffled experts.
But now, almost all of the sea lions are gone, leaving the experts guessing where they went - and why.
"Most likely, they left chasing a food source," said Jeff Boehm, executive director of the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, which runs an information center and gift shop at Pier 39. "It's probably what kept them here in the first place."
On Tuesday, 10 sea lions lounged and swam and dove from the docks, spreading themselves out where the animals were stacked three and four deep just a month ago. The bulk of the herd probably followed their favorite foods, sardines and anchovies, Boehm said.
The animals began leaving in droves the day after Thanksgiving, almost as if someone had issued an order. But Boehm said the fact that so many sea lions stayed for so long is even stranger than their disappearance.
Sea Lions
The Top 10
Biggest TV Blunders
Perhaps executives toiling in the TV industry should get a pass given all the competitive distractions dwindling their audience, from video games to social networking. And yet, some of their decisions were so memorably boneheaded that we must celebrate these milestone mishaps. Let's start with...
10. FOX CANCELING "FAMILY GUY" (AND, SURE, PERHAPS "FIREFLY" TOO)
Axed TV shows usually stay dead, yet two titles canceled by former Fox chief Sandy Grushow in 2002 refused to go quietly. One was Seth MacFarlane's "Family Guy," which was moved around the schedule and even put opposite top-rated hits "Survivor" and "Friends" before getting yanked. After the show's repeats got strong ratings on Adult Swim and netted big DVD sales, the comedy made its way back to broadcast in 2005. "Family Guy" is now Fox's second-highest-rated scripted series and has produced a successful spinoff ("The Cleveland Show"). As for "Firefly," the show lived on as a theatrical movie ("Serenity") and to this day, no TV series cancellation inspires louder fanboy wails.
6. DUMPING JAY LENO FROM NBC'S "THE TONIGHT SHOW"
Leno's new primetime show is like New Coke: A product nobody wanted replacing a product everybody liked. There are many reasons why NBC moved Leno to 10 p.m. to honor an agreement to give Conan O'Brien "The Tonight Show." But none of the explanations add up to a convincing excuse for ousting a talk show host who dominated his time period every night.
5. ELECTION NIGHT COVERAGE IN 2000
The evening not only went down as TV news divisions' biggest blunder in recent memory, it also led to sweeping changes in how networks announce election results. At 8 p.m. ET on November 7, all major networks called Florida for Al Gore, then moved the state back to the undecided column at 10 p.m. At 2 a.m., Fox News Channel, with George W. Bush's first cousin John Ellis running its election desk, was the first to project Florida -- and the presidency -- for the Texas governor. All networks followed suit until that call, too, was retracted and the state was pronounced again "too close to call" at 4 a.m. "We don't just have egg on our face," NBC's lead anchor Tom Brokaw said that morning. "We have an omelet on our suits."
For the rest, Biggest TV Blunders
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