Interview Results

A few days ago I actually conducted a short interview with a friend based on the questions, and it went fairly well-

Derek: Do you use the Internet?

Friend: Yeah.

Derek: If yes, how often?

Friend: Every day, but not during class so much.

Derek: What do you use it for?

Friend: Facebook and taking notes in class, but music and videos are things I search out also.

Derek: Do you own a working computer or have access to one usually?

Friend: I use this Apple Laptop usually. Sometimes the ones at Dillard to print papers. Depends.

Derek: How much free time do you have?

Friend: Not nearly enough. :(

Derek: Does the Internet seem user-friendly to you?

Friend: If it was hard to use I wouldn't any time on it at all, hahaha!

Derek: How would you like to see the Internet change in the future?

Friend: I'd like to be able to explore the world with a robot using my internet connection and take lots of pictures. I really hope applications like that come in the future.

A Good Job

The position I chose was New Media Coordinator, which interested me due to my minor and furthermore because it seems like a cutting edge position amidst all the old media that's beginning to choke and lose its audience.

To be successful at this sort of work, you need BS related to marketing or communications, excel in communication related things as well as having a large amount of knowledge about Web 2.0 applications and some organizational abilities. Knowledge of music or the arts is also recommended, as well having experience in HTML or some sort of web-design friendly programming lanugage.

At my current level, I think I'm on the right track, I need to become quicker and more effective at incorporating and mastering new technologies and/or applications that tie into New Media related work, as well as studying HTML and learning how to manipulate and make effective use of its properties.

But, as this is the sort of work I'm preparing for, I'd be more than satisfied in landing this job after I'm ready to take it!

Zimbabwe!!!!

After spending both one hour without the Internet and one hour researching with it, I came to a scary yet appropriate conclusion regarding the gathering of information: I'm unable to research anything effectively without the Net!

For starters, I asked people within the library to point me the right direction of where books regarding modern day political unrest in Zimbabwe might be; they weren't sure, but I was pointed in the general direction. Upon arriving at the second floor, I looked around; there were books on Darfur and political indepedence movements throughout Africa from the 19th and mid 20th centuries, but nothing that was up to date. Had I been using the Internet, I could have long ago learned the information that I was seeking, and there was no advantage whatsoever in seeking info. this way.

Upon logging on my computer half an hour later, I quickly found the necessary info. without the drawbacks I had been expecting. The only disadvantage I could think of potentially is if the power goes out and/or the Internet dies, but all things considered the possibility of me losing either is pretty unlikely.

Hence, I can conclude that the Internet offers the fewest drawbacks and the largest pool of potential information in regards to Zimbabwe, and I prefer it as a result of the two hours spent looking around.

The Human Race Machine

After going through The Human Race Machine, I was quite a bit surprised at how I changed. My lips would thin out to an insane degree as an Asian, and my eyes and forehead both widened somewhat as an African-American. Yet despite such changes, I did indeed recognize myself as me within each racial profile. What surprised me most was the +20 years option however; I had barely changed at all! My skin was still smooth, my hair still very dark. What seemed to change the most were the wrinkles around my eyes and slight maturations in my cheeks and mouth corners.

All in all, I was quite satisfied by the results and highly recommend the experience to anyone who dares to try. :)

NPR Question & Answer

Do people listen to the radio on the Internet already?

The answer is YES, and in a big way! Sites such as last.fm and auralmoon.com are two examples among a multitude that provide potential surfers the option of listening to any music that suits their preferences in a broadcast-esque format. Secondly, many radio stations today are also have online streaming so that you can listen along with those driving along places from the comfort of your office chair.

In context with the relatively interesting NPR discussion, I feel that anyone associated with music should be expanding online on the radio front. Maybe then people would be a little less ignorant and boxed-in musically as more eclectic playlists emerge thanks to the lack of FCC presence.

The conversation could have been more informative and specific in regards to music-radio related information though, as I felt they didn't go in-depth enough.

Twitter Experiences

The Twittering experience has been quite good thus far, if a bit sparse: why is it that girls always seem to have ninety billion followers and stellar guys like myself have less than fifteen? Just plain crazy I say!

In any case, Twittering is interesting and has been such for me for a variety of reasons, specifically the fact that I can keep up with, follow and even become friends with celebrities if I care to. It seems that a lot of bands and musical artists that I like have Twitter feeds too, which is somewhat convenient if I want news straight from the horse’s mouth as it were.

I also find the posting aspect a fairly neat thing about Twitter. 140 characters may not be much when you think about it, but for daily postings and whatnot it’s actually pretty darn convenient. Information, as a result of reaching an enhanced state of transience and mediocrity, actually increases the effectiveness of its transmissive capabilities. With brief spurts of text you can effectively narrate smaller details that normally carry over into normal conversation, thus replicating the process in an online manner without sacrificing the actual ease of communicating, and its what I’ve enjoyed the most about Twitter overall.

I would continue Twittering in order to explore these two separate aspects of the system more!

My Five Favorite Things To Do Online

1. Looking up new music and discussing it with people on places like rateyourmusic.com and musicbanter.com

2. Searching for new information on things I never knew about before. I love to learn!!

3. Watching videos related to things that are cool, funny, awesome, intriguing, etc.

4. Blogging, writing, etc.

5. Keeping track of my friends and what they're up to!!

Neutral net? Aye!

I would have to say I'm in favor of net neutrality to a large extent, if for nothing else than that I prefer equality across all websites when it comes to connection speed than tiered services which favor sites that bring in large income. Amazon.com, for example, is a useful place, but what if I prefer the price of a book from some other site than them, but because the other site doesn't pay extra I end up having trouble connecting to their server?

Overall, I think the whole thing is rather silly and that we don't have a whole lot of control whether or not the net neutrality rules go into effect, but I think I'll be in favor of them for the most part from now on also.

The Internet, Society and the Need To Be Free

There are many reasons why I am taking 'The Internet & Society', as well as many answers one could give if asked why they are taking such a course in the first place. However, first and foremost, I am taking it because I love to write online, and hence this sort of class is preparatory. Secondly, a class like this is also important because it makes very clear the relevancy of online networking here in the present world and just how much moreso it will become in the future. I do feel that we should be incorporating more emphasis on how online communities interact with eachother though, as they have begun to become more prevalent and powerful in today's environment.

Also, of the eight net generation norms mentioned in "Grown Up Digital", I feel that freedom, which is norm #1, is the one I agree with most. The reason I think of it highly is because I feel it is a more productive and flexible way of seeing the world than past generations are accustomed to. Thriving in and encouraging creativity in one's life is far better than not having any at all after all!

The Meaning Behind 2.0

According to http://blogs.zdnet.com/web2explorer/?p=5, Web 2.0 is something which means different things depending on the context in which the term is being used, but primarily refers to a user oriented digital medium that is connected to all facets of society and the individuals which inhabit it though information exchange. Another common meaning would be losing control over one's data and letting it interact online naturally and change over time.

I would say that Web 2.0 affects me in my future career, as well as the way that I, my friends, my future children, etc. will socially navigate. Maybe my books when I'm a bestselling author will be selling online rather than in physical form? Either way, its very relevant.

The Internetz

When the Internet was first developed over 40 years ago for the mere purpose of communicating, I don’t think there was anyone who could have begun to imagine the possibilities of it besides a few science fiction authors here and there. If humanity have learned anything at all in the last century, it’s that the future always spirals out in ways beyond their ability to predict and imagine, and the development and subsequent expansion of the World Wide Web is no exception to that rule.

However, if I had to choose Between Licklider, Tomlinson, and and Tim Berners-Lee, I would say that only J. C. R. Licklider had any inkling of what was to come in the future. Although he did not program, it was his ideas and foretelling of digital-click interface, online banking, and various e-commerce hypotheses that turned him into a visionary among those who were short sighted, and hence it is certainly no wonder that he was called the Johnny Appleseed of the computer world during his lifetime. Ray Tomlinson gave us e-mail and Berners-Lee gave us websites, but where would any of that be without the prophecies of Licklider? No where I say, and that is the fact of the matter!

Despite such vision though, today’s Internet is still quite different from anything Licklider could have imagined. Much like Congress, he was one who thought the Internet would be exclusively and ultimately a medium of exchanging information in some way or another, when in today’s world the Internet has literally wormed its way into everything from entertainment to business deals and singlehandedly has changed how people interact with the world as we have come to know it. Already the baby boomer generation, those who lead corporations and the government and are nestled in all sorts of institutions, have become nearly irrelevant…and the oldest of the Net Generation aren’t even 32 yet!

Ultimately the Internet has far surpassed the expectations of those who originally beget it. Countless people use the Internet not to gather information, but to merely listen to a song they like or customize a web journal or to buy the latest New York Times bestseller without having to get up and drive to the bookstore, and countless more make use of their network knowledge to obtain everything from films to music without paying a cent to the industries of their origin.

We are, and have been for a long time now, on the brink of something that is redefining everything, and I am glad to be part of it for better…or for worse.

Mr. Sirius - Barren Dream (1987)

Track Listing:

1. All The Fallen People (11:57)

2. Sweet Revenge (1:44)

3. Step Into Easter (7:47)

4. Intermezzo (5:18)

5. Eternal Jealousy (8:14)

6. Lagrima (4:11)

7. Barren Dream (13:28)

Although many people are not aware of it, Japan's progressive rock scene, especially in the 80's and 90's, is quite vibrant and interesting to explore. This one such gem is from the era's peak, a debut work and the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Kazuhiro Miyatake, who plays everything from accordion to bass guitar while a very talented bilingual young lady named Hiroka Nagai takes care of vocals.

To be frank, this is among the most drop-dead gorgeous symphonic progressive rock albums ever put together, even when compared to all the greats from the progressive heyday over in the U.K., and hence I have a lot of praise for what's here. So many moods are brought to life to a near effortless degree, from the acoustics to the riverside Italian-feel accordion (Step Into Easter), to godlike flutework (Lagrima), along with some brilliant piano that ferments to an insanely catchy bombast (Eternal Jealousy). To put it one way, Barren Dream is amazing, if for nothing else, because if captures that mind-transporting fantastical mood at a level that only the best albums of progressive rock can realize. It reaches me where so many fail and burn, and no matter how much I play it the love does not lessen. It's one of a kind, and the only thing that prevented it from being acknowledged as the masterpiece it was back in 1987 was because it's from Japan! Grrrrrrrr!! :bringit:

If there are any complaints that come to mind, its that the guitar playing has a slight late 80's feel to it, but such doesn't really detract in the slightest from arrangements that are so damn wonderful that I don't even have the words to express the words for how I feel as I listen to them.

Despite the fact that Japanese progressive rock is something most of you are unfamiliar with, I recommend Mr. Sirius's Barren Dream as the first and foremost stepping stone to get you started. It's damn near impeccable as a representative of what makes the scene good, being more memorable and beautiful in seven tracks than entire neo-prog bands can be in two or three decades of work.

A Comparison Between Two Blogs

Today I went to the blogs of two fellow classmates, Brandi Stroud (http://brandimarie88.blogspot.com/) and Kassie Bruton (http://www.kcgirl-kassie.blogspot.com/) in order to compare the writing styles between them. Needless to say, I was impressed by both, as they were distinct yet simultaneously faithful to many of the Tips for Writing on the Web.

In particular, I felt Brandi's had a particularly literate and insightful quality to her writing, loose yet coherent and centralized around her love of reading and writing. Although I found both of Kassie's posts enjoyable to read, Brandi's stabs at playfulness in her one post so far made a bigger impression on me, and I think others who read it will want to read her future posts as well.

Either way though, I think they've both done very well!

Lucifer's Friend - Banquet (1974)

Track Listing:

1. Spanish Galleon (11:50)
2. Thus Spoke Oberon (6:44)
3. High Flying Lady-Goodbye (3:40)
4. Sorrow (11:36)
5. Dirty Old Town (4:46)

There's a rather sad story behind many of the German rock bands in the 60's and 70's, in that it was nearly impossible for them to find exposure outside their home country, plus it was looked down upon for them to write their own compositions.

Example conversation:

Person: "So, you guys are a rock band?"

Band: "Yes."

Person: "Cool! What Led Zeppelin tracks you gonna' cover tonight?"

Band: "None. We wrote all our own stuff!"

Person: "STFU GTFO!!!!!111"

Taking such into a considersation, its a real wonder that Lucifer's Friend, who began as a hard rock band around the same time as Black Sabbath and Deep Purple formed, got ANY exposure at all despite landing a record deal at Vertigo Records (which Sabbath was also on). Despite that however, the exposure was still minimal, as they weren't able to produce that many of their records for distribution. Hence, while anyone and their grandma can tell you who Deep Purple is, they'll just scratch their heads at the mention of Lucifer's Friend.

Anyway, onto the review of this particular work: Of the nine studio albums that Lucifer's Friend ended up putting out before finally biting the bullet for good in the mid 90's, Banquet is without a doubt the peak of their creative output. While "Spanish Galleon" with its swingin' pace and the epic "Sorrow" are major highlights here, the 30-piece brass band behind Lucifer's Friend really show their chops behind the main group, resulting in awesomeness from start to finish.

There's a lot to like for those who get a kick out of great instrumentals: the guitar and piano are both prominent & tasteful, John Lawton (who would later front Uriah Heep) is in top vocal shape here, and the songs themselves never cease to keep one's attention. This is partly due to the rather bombastic big-band vibes due to all the brass background instruments, but all-in-all I would say Lucifer's Friend themselves had captured a unique blend of progressive/hard rock with this record that you just don't see anywhere else today. Its jazzy, its hard, and its a damn lot of fun to blast it out your car speakers as you drive!

So, if nothing else, I recommend Banquet for anyone who wants to hear the best rock this rather poorly exposed German outfit has to offer, and also to check out their 1970 S/T debut if you like this. Listen well and appreciate just how far Lucifer's Friend has progressed beyond those other rock bands of the era in complexity/originality in the space of a mere four years while the rest stuck to their formulaic 3-chord recreations of their debut albums for the rest of their careers (I'm looking at YOU Black Sabbath!!).

R.I.P Lucifer's Friend, and may your music be remembered and appreciated by those who wish to listen to the best that history has forgotten.

An introductory!

Greetings one and all, and welcome to Neo-Century Sound Chaser, a music blog where I will review albums, bands and songs none of you have probably ever heard of. I will also occasionally make general observation posts about something related to music in some shape or another, such as a genre overview or current events.

Also, although I will not link to the albums I review here directly, you are free to request an up if you leave your email address in your comment under the appropriate review. You are also free to talk about whatever you want while posting here.


Basically, have fun, enjoy the reviews, and expand thy musical horizons as you see fit!