Worth a listen

from:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvFz8ghX4Gs

Steelcase walkstation vs. Home-cooked Internet Treadmill Workstation & Home Gym

Anyone catch Steelcase's Walkstation featured on Regis and Kelly last week?

Say it with me now:

"Crockett Dunn sees the future."

(re: the Crock-station Internet Treadmill & Wired Home Gym, conceived in 2003, featured here http://internet-treadmill-workstation.blogspot.com/2008/12/welcome-statement-of-purpose.html).

Steelcase's first generation exer-station was also featured in TIME a while back, "DANGER: Walking While Working," found here: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1862448,00.html.

My editorial didn't make the cut, but seriously- being married to Analisa, a medical professional, I am keenly aware of our health as a society and the costs associated therewith. Not only that, being a knowledge worker in the midst of the post-information-revolution/gamer/obesity epidemic in America, the message is as seriously as a heart attack (yes, pun shamelessly intended).

Salut!

A Little ZEN to go with you iTunes GENIUS

This morning on the treadmill, I was noting that I listen (pretty much every day) to Ah-Ha's, "Take on Me," in its entirety, simply because I am not warmed up enough mentally or physically to change or filter the music. [I suppose one day I will be shuffling toothless around with a walker singing the lyrics to this song with 100% accuracy.]

Anyway, iTunes has built in 3 varieties of "Shuffle By," but I need more.

Thus, I coined, "Zen Playlists"... every time you listen to a song within one of these playlists (filtered by play date), that song no longer meets the playlist criteria, and is removed from the list:

You can go back as far as you like in the past, depending on how your files are tagged, and you can go up to the prior year.

--CD

If you dig this kind of thing, see http://internet-treadmill-workstation.blogspot.com/.

most awesomest picture

Not much time to post this month.... when it rains it pours (in a good way).


This is the best picture ever.

Flea from the Chili Peppers, totally in the zone. I like to imagine he's doing the solo from Stone Cold on Mother's Milk.


Compliments of the company formerly known as Groovetography, (http://michaelweintrob.com/portfolio/)

Michael, a high school colleague of mine, has a press pass and does this for a living- once sold a Rolling Stone cover I think, but there were other plans for the week of 9/11/2001.

Michael's success has led him to put his name on the company, http://michaelweintrob.com/

3 items:

1. Michale Weintrob takes incredible, one-of-a-kind photos
2. Michael Weintrob has a wicked-cool job: livin' the dream
   
3. I desperately want Michael, rather, Michael Weintrob Photography, (http://www.michaelweintrob.com), to sell me the high-res version of the above print.

Collectors- check out this "one of a kind" list: http://michaelweintrob.com/pdf/mweintrob_stock_list.pdf

Survival for the high-powered, IT Exec: The ultimate wired office/gym!

The ultimate wired office/gym! Walkstation! Internet Treadmill Workstation! Sounds silly? Yes, as first? Like being alive? The this is no joke. I've been working with Physical Therapist on this for 4 years now:(see http://crockettdunn.blogspot.com/2008/02/holy-grail-found-introducing-best.html ) Survival for the high-powered, IT Exec: The ultimate wired office/gym! Hello there. My name is Crockett. I own an IT business. I love life... I mean, I love being alive, and I intend to postpone the cessation of my being alive for as long as possible. This product list is for the serious information technology worker concerned for her or his physical health. Let's face it, our generation has seen enough sedentary IT worker and computer addicts die of cardiovascular related illnesses anywhere from their late 20s to early 40s. This is serious. So perhaps it's more appropriate to say that this product listing is intended to help the IT/Knowledge worker stay healthy, and SURVIVE in an industry that constantly begs us to "please be seated." The Ultimate Internet Treadmill Workstation, Totally Wired Home Gym, and generally surviving and staying healthy as an information technology professional have all generated enough interest to merit going beyond my "generic, personal," blogs and offering this as an Amazon List, and an exclusive blog, here, http://internet-treadmill-workstation.blogspot.com/. With that, to those seeking physical and fiscal health in this post-information-revolution era in which we live, I say, "WELCOME!" (from the treadmill, in fact). Come in, explore, and most of all SHARE your methods and experiences with countering what has historically been a purely sedentary vocation. [user community at http://internet-treadmill-workstation.blogspot.com.

PAY ATTENTION

If you are in the media technology industry, and you are not paying attention to Ian C. Rogers, you are... well... you're not really in the media technology industry.

TechCruch quoted a statement made my Ian in 2007, but this is old news. In my opinion, this was Mr. Rogers drawing the line with Yahoo on the public record, saying, "you're on the wrong path."

But off the record, Ian has been speaking since 2003 (or earlier- I never knew him before) in public and private forums with media/tech industry insiders regarding the futility of DRM (copy protection).

Ian sees the future.

recognize

internet-connected treadmill workstation, beta2

[unless you are some sort of treadmill historian or Crockett-stalker, skip to the latest version, here: http://crockettdunn.blogspot.com/2008/03/exercise-plan-active-lifestyle-for.html]

########################################

checking in re: the latest revision of the treadmill computing environment. All is will with the Gyration brand mouse & keyboard plugged into the throwaway laptop/webcam server. The only thing close to a problem I've experienced is one time I think I shorted out the battery on the mouse by putting it in sweat. But since I got the pro pack with the backup battery, I just switched it out with the other with no downtime.

The display is some HD thing I got on clearance at Best Buy. The important thing to share here is that I opted for a giant, wall-mountable display + wireless HID devices, rather than trying to find an adequate, "close-up" display on one windows mobile device or another.

Last thing I would say about the treadmill thing (besides don't try this at home and use your kill-switch-clip if you do) is that it makes the workout time really fly by much better than the not-on-demand stuff on cable TV. Seems to make the brain work a lot better, too.

Oooh, and as if on queue, a family member just walked in and said, "did you lose weight?"

"Why yes, I did. Thanks to the new Internet Treadmill Workstation 2007!"

PAY ATTENTION

Other industries, take lesson (Ian speaks truth):
http://www.fistfulayen.com/blog/?p=127

That's right-on: Convenience Wins, Hubris Loses.

truths

There are truths that transcend the reach of our current tools of language. And this is why we have music.

i like sunshine and music

The list of things I feel this calmly certain about can probably be counted on my two hands and feet. This I know: "I like sunshine and music."

icky thump

Last week I found myself in a conversation about whether a given piece of music can be enjoyed when heard the first time, or if a necessary part of the enjoyment is the familiarity and anticipation.

Today I have my answer: if it's innovative enough, the first listen can be enjoyable.

Case and point: The White Stripes "Icky Thump."

Innovative. Portamento. 200-in-one electronic project lab distorted square wave. Sounds almost Persian. Seriously, this sound brings me back to my little electronic-experimentation hobby kit, where I made music proportional to the distance between the graphite (pencil square) touching leads.

Led Zeppelin-esque drums and guitar throughout.

Catchy, rappish, chili-pepper-ish lyrics.

love it

Email I received today

4/24 update: Get more info here, or take action here.

Commentary by Crockett:

Special emphasis on, "...As a young industry, we do not have the lobbying power of the RIAA..."

I'm not a big fan of existing distribution channels lobbying for legislation that will stifle competition and attempt to preserve the status quo. Maybe I'm young and naive, but it seems to me that this legislation is bad for America. This country proved to the world that competition produces the greatest results, so it doesn't seem like a great idea for existing sources of wealth to pay to get legislation passed that will hurt or kill their competition.

Let's limit the grounds of competition to the quality of products and services delivered, and leave tactics such as undermining and sabatoge out of our economy.

Trouble viewing this email?...Click here Hi, it's Tim from Pandora, I'm writing today to ask for your help. The survival of Pandora and all of Internet radio is in jeopardy because of a recent decision by the Copyright Royalty Board in Washington, DC to almost triple the licensing fees for Internet radio sites like Pandora. The new royalty rates are irrationally high, more than four times what satellite radio pays, and broadcast radio doesn't pay these at all. Left unchanged, these new royalties will kill every Internet radio site, including Pandora. In response to these new and unfair fees, we have formed the SaveNetRadio Coalition, a group that includes listeners, artists, labels and webcasters. I hope that you will consider joining us. Please sign our petition urging your Congressional representative to act to save Internet radio: http://capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/issues/alert/?alertid=9631541 Please feel free to forward this link/email to your friends - the more petitioners we can get, the better. Understand that we are fully supportive of paying royalties to the artists whose music we play, and have done so since our inception. As a former touring musician myself, I'm no stranger to the challenges facing working musicians. The issue we have with the recent ruling is that it puts the cost of streaming far out of the range of ANY webcaster's business potential. I hope you'll take just a few minutes to sign our petition - it WILL make a difference. As a young industry, we do not have the lobbying power of the RIAA. You, our listeners, are by far our biggest and most influential allies. As always, and now more than ever, thank you for your support. tim_signature.jpg src="http://www.pandora.com/static/images/tim_signature.jpg" width=102> -Tim Westergren (Pandora founder)

Confession

I was playing guitar and treadmilling, and I got so lost in the music and rhythm, that it was a few minutes before I realized I was drooling.

"hope you brought your a-game, bitch."

"Hope you brought your a-game, bitch," is one of the taunt moves in the new video game, Def Jam Icon. I caught the following advertisement while watching TiVo'd Family Guy last night.


Anyone who has ever downloaded music can see that artists need a new way to get paid for making great music. Music as an experience-enhancement, specifically in video games, is one solution to the artist's dilemma.

On another topic, are hip-hop artists the cowboys and indians, or mobsters of a generation? In other words, is this healthy, harmelss fantasty? Or have today's artists crossed a line by BEING, pretending to BE, or BECOMING the violent, drug slanging, gun-toting, bitch-slapping characters they rap about?

This comes to mind as I picked up the latest copy of Source, and felt a pang of nostalgia.

I grew up with this stuff, but it was not just fantasy about which they rapped. Real people really died.

Forgive the multi-theme, un-wrapped post. This idea has been marinading for 2 weeks, and it is to move on. RIP Tupac/Biggie.

Groovetography rocks

OK, this site has some really cool, one-of-a-kind music photos. This one is my favorite: http://www.groovetography.com/new2/gallery/music/flea.htm.

Rock on, Michael Weintrob!

Time, Relativity, Beauty, Childhood, Nature, Poetry, Love, Wonder, and Jack Johnson

I believe there are truths that transcend our current tools of language. Shades of meaning that can be captured in a painting, song, or shared experience.

Why is Jack Johnson's little "Spring Wind" ditty so moving??? It's clearly not the chords: D-G-A-D-G-A-G-D-A-Bm-D-G-D-A-Bm-G-A-D. I can play these chords without being paralyzed with emotion. Although they do seem to resonate with something deep inside.

G D G
All my friends are getting older,
A BM
I guess I must be too.
G
Without their love and kindness
A
I don't want I'll do
G D
Oh the wine bottle's half empty
A BM
The money's all been spent
G
We're a cross between our parents
A
And hippies in a tent.

G D
Oh, Love calls just like a wild bird
A BM
It's just another day
G A D
Spring blew my list of things to do away.

G,D,G,D

G D G
In a mucked up lovely river
A BM
I cast my little fly
G
But I look at that river and I smell it and
A
it makes me want to cry, Oh
G D
To clean our dirty planet
A BM
Now there's a noble wish
G
Now I putting shoulder to the wheel
A
Cause I wanna catch some fish, Oh
G D
Love calls just like a wild bird
A BM
It's just another day
G A D
Spring blew my list of things to do away.

I'm thinking about dissecting this, because there was a lot I had to say about what this song evokes (see title), but the interesting thing is, when I use the analytical part of my mind to try to pick the song apart, it's like the feelings are no longer accessible. Weird.

Music for the soul

I played guitar for 45 minutes just now, and at some point I became lost in the sounds and rhythms. I experimented with new thumping and fingering without fully fretting (like a harmonic but not above one of the "good" sounding frets), and I think, for over 1 half hour, my analytical mind turned off, and I was an animal human, without worries- like a dog at the dog park, raising its ears and cocking its head at a curiousity. That peace is all I could ever ask for out of life. Freedom from the analytical, neocortical mind.

Love Quotes

• "If love is the answer, could you please rephrase the question?" - Lily Tomlin
  
• "All you need is love." -The Beatles
  
• "Love is the answer at least for most of the questions in my heart. Why are we here and where do we go and how come it's so hard?" - Jack Johnson
  
• "A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth — that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love. I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved. In a position of utter desolation, when man cannot express himself in positive action, when his only achievement may consist in enduring his sufferings in the right way — an honorable way — in such a position man can, through loving contemplation of the image he carries of his beloved, achieve fulfillment. For the first time in my life I was able to understand the meaning of the words, 'The angels are lost in perpetual contemplation of an infinite glory.'" - Victor Frankl
  
•