Tinker, Tech’er, Solder, Sine via RAVE Pubs

This post orginally appeared on Gary Kayye's RavePub Site on August 2nd, 2011 

 

Are you useless?  I am and proudly so and I think you could do with being so too.

I’ll let that sink in for a moment before we proceed -- you should strive to be useless and leading by example, encourage your staff to be the same.

 Useless adjective       \'yüs-l?s\

              1.    Not fulfilling or not expected to achieve the intended purpose or desired outcome

In reality useless is usually based on a simple frame of reference, or in the colloquial -- one man’s  
garbage is another man’s treasure. For an install company, tinkering is a useless endeavor, a wasteful process of learning as you go and where results are not always what one expected. Having a staff of useless tinkerers is not just terrible for your business, much worse; it is the best thing that can happen to it.

Do you remember back to when you were six or seven years old and the concept of chemistry or at least the idea that a mad scientist could hold such power with a simple set of beakers and surgical tubing held so much sway? Back then, you mixed shampoo with wood chips, hair gel, milk and orange juice half waiting for the, mostly inert, mixture to start moving of its own volition. These experiments were mostly harmless but if you were like me the ‘failures’ never dulled the excitement of the possibilities -- ‘if I could just find the right ratios!’ <cue cute-evil laugh>. Then again you could have had a mom like mine who occasionally would provide me with bottles marked ‘ingredient X’ - <Vinegar> and ‘Mystery Powder Y’ - <Baking Soda>.  That particular experiment had me wide eyed and standing atop a three-legged stool as the resulting reaction covered the floor of my room. Did I mention that I also became really good with a mop?

I want to see your staff doing more of the above. No, not the mop - the wild-eyed fascination of deconstructivism. Wasteful, you might say. Absolutely devastating to project deadlines and company profits one might argue. Horse Hockey! I say. (With apologies to Sherman T. Potter)

The process of tinkering provides lessons in how stuff works, it is demonstrative and practical, and there is great value in opening a box and figuring out just how they did that. An even greater benefit can come from forceful misapplication-creating wondrous new functions or in letting the genie out.

I am a big fan of something called Circuit Bending which is the process of opening up consumer electronics - mostly kids’ toys - and modifying the circuit boards to create new sounds. The cult community of circuit bending is part heath kit hacker, part pyromaniac musician and part serious electronics debugger. Modifying a toy is not nearly as simple as it might appear -- these units’ electronics are often undocumented; the process of figuring out just where to connect jumpers requires patience and research. It also requires a willingness to fail.

Failure is constructive.

Are you allowing your staff to fail?  

If you still think that I am full of it just take a look at what 3M™ does. 3M has a long standing policy (since the 1920’s!) of allowing employees - regardless of project schedules - to dedicate up to 15 percent of their paid work hours on personal projects. What possible benefits could a policy which wreaks havoc on deadlines and product to market schedules have?  Not much really -- just the development of whole new markets in adhesives, recording mediums and of course the ubiquitous Post-it-Notes ®.

What untapped solution are you missing out of by holding your staff back?  Where would we be without the invention the iPad typewriter?  For me it would be a sad, sad world.

 

 

Social Media - Old Skool style

 

 Page One of my interactive community board idea for my employer - Circa 1993-94

 

 

 

What we need is a Telethon, Yes, an AMERICATHON!

Tales from the future undoing of america - Laugh Track optional 

 

Narrator: Everyone all across the country was watching the telethon. From what was left of New York, to the first all-gay state, North Dakota. All eyes were glued to their sets... 

[shot of men at stand-up urinals watching television]
Narrator: ...which in some cases, ruined a lot of good shoes.


America is still in a rut, a kicking an ole’ can down rain water run off channels in a deserted train yard blues. Yeah, we in a heap trouble people.  

While reading about what would happen if the US defaulted on its loans by failing to raise the debt ceiling it suddenly hit me.  After I got myself off the floor and cleaned up the spilt beer it hit me again, but this time I was ready for the idea and stood my ground.  The idea is that I have already seen this movie- years ago during the early days of HBO late, late at night. I will admit to being just a bit afraid of the fact that we are living through the basic script of ‘Americathon!”  

If you are not familiar with the 1979 movie starring Jon Ritter, Harvey Korman and a special appearance by Meatloaf - yes that Mr. Loaf-   the movie is a comedy about the governments attempts to prevent its creditors from foreclosing on it.  The country is in dire straights with the new Indian (Native Americans, this was 1979 after all), nation rising to an economic powerhouse ala  Walmart as owners of N.I.K.E (now , National Indian Knitting Enterprise) to whom the country owes a billion dollars to.  The Answer?  a Telethon, no an Americathon! to raise the funds needed to avoid foreclosure.  Sound familiar? Perhaps not as the film appears to be, sadly, out of print.

  

The movie also predicted several other salient items as part of the story line, namely (via Wikipedia entry)

• The People's Republic of China embracing capitalism and becoming a global economic superpower.


• Cliques of Native Americans becoming wealthy (although in reality much of their wealth would come from the gaming industry, mostly from tribal casinos).


• Nike becoming a huge multinational conglomerate (In 1979, their "Tailwind" running shoe was just starting to gain popularity).


• Vietnam becoming a major tourist attraction among Asia's wealthy and powerful


• The continued existence and popularity of The Beach Boys in 1998.


• The collapse of the USSR.


• The depletion of US crude oil production, which, according to Hubbert's Peak theory, was already underway for several years at the time the film was made (Hubbert estimated in 1956 that the year of peak oil extraction in the United States would be 1970.).


• Jogging suits becoming fashionable as "casual wear".


• Reality television reaching absurd limits. (The telethon includes a boxing match between a mother and son. The son is played by Jay Leno.).


• An America with a devalued dollar and heavily in debt to foreign lenders.


• The United Kingdom relying heavily on tourism for income (In the film, England is the 57th state with London turned into a theme park named "Limeyland" and 10 Downing Street turned into a discothèque).


• Network television dealing with previously taboo subjects accepted as normal. (Monty Rushmore stars in the sit-com, "Both Father and Mother", and plays a cross-dressing single father in the titular role. The film's narrative also mentions "The Schlong Show", a game show where contestants are judged by their reproductive organs.)


• Smoking being banned.


• A great increase in homelessness (Homelessness began to greatly increase in major U.S. cities during the recession of 1982 and the simultaneous cutting of the Section 8 program by the Reagan Administration).

Not bad for a bunch of yuksters, no?

The bigger question is just why can we not get ourselves out of this mess.  The answer, not surprisingly, is politics. “United we stand, divided we fall” so goes the song lyric and baby are we a divided nation. I am not revealing any new truth here but it does seem to me that the gap of polarization has almost become insurmountable. All too often disagreements on social or economic topics degenerate into ad hominem attacks and accusations of being the agent of some disruptive outside force (commie, socialist, the devil, fascist, feudalist).  Whatever happened to the days of our fore-fathers who could argue vehemently and passionately for an ideal, curse the man across the aisle only to buy him a beer and carouse till 2am after the sessions had ended. Perhaps I am having wistful memories of things that never happened, believing the fairy tales of third grade civics class. Maybe we have really always been a divided country, our perceptions exacerbated by social media and our recent ability to filter the news down to a granular level of personal taste.  

Today we can basically ignore any other opinion than our own by actively choosing to read only the news outlets, blogs or friends with whom we agree, dissenting voices are ignored or worse- censored/ blocked.  A few keystrokes inside your news aggregator or social platform and your cone of silence is complete.

At the birth of the ‘new partisan politic’ when the new conservative movement and the old school social liberals began having skirmishes over ‘Reaganomics’ leaders like Tip O’neal and Ronald Regan considered themselves ‘friends after 6PM and would meet each other for drinks to swap stories and work out compromises. Today politicians fear being seen being even mildly civil to one another for fear that their party associates or constituents would see them as being not conservative/Liberal enough and thereby be shunned and voted out. The number of incidences where a the party construct actually goes after its own members - even seeking to deny them re-election - for the slightest infraction to the party line are dramatically rising. we have truly entered  the era of cutting off the nose to spite the face- consequences be dammed.

I may be labeled a radical moderate for dreaming of a return to a time when partisan regimentation faded as one exited the halls of government yet, as John Lennon sang - I am not the only one.  Conservative commentator and former George W. Bush speechwriter David Frum has issues with the divide as well.  In a recent Marketplace article he bemoans the fact that legislators no longer live or take residence in the DC area with their family.  This simple act insured that political opponents encountered each other in more social settings, their kids would go to school together and spouses mingled in shared social circles.  Today, Frum argues, legislators rush home and meet with constituents - a good thing one would think. Mr. Frum questions just which constituents make it to these “Town Halls”:

Members hear from retirees, from the hyper-partisan, and from the affluent. But they don't hear from everybody. Mothers of young children tend not to go to town halls. Anxious 20-somethings are seldom seen. - Building Trust in Congress, Marketplace 6.8.11

 

Alright, you may say, this IS an issue but the true dysfunction and hyperbole is limited to the large national governing apparatus dealing with the giant issues of the day - local politics, one may argue, is different these folks are actual neighbors.  If you are still living under this utopian pipe-dream I suggest that you sit down for this next part, your heart may not be able to take the shock..  WBEZ’s ‘This American Life’ recently   broadcast a show of three acts under the title ‘House Divided”. Act one- titled “WAR OF NORTHERN AGGRESSION” details  one Wisconsin district in the midst of a recall election.  Neighbor turns against neighbor, friend against friend and family against family. The story is a shocking and sad example of the toll our current extreme politics has taken. Listen to the radio show for I cannot do justice to it here.

 

Earlier I called myself out as a ‘Radical Moderate’ yet I have been guilty of the same reactionary vitriol. Why?  I once described my outbursts as only logical response of the bleeding heart who would no longer turn the other cheek. I thought that i was declaring war, a righteous war fueled by the political social messages of hardcore punk and the blood being spilled in the streets.  I now realize that this was misguided.  Not message nor the sentiment but the belief that violence whether physical or intellectual can and should be brought to the political debate. Having been the victim of egregious bullying during my youth I knew full well that striking out in a full and unrepentant manner can be effective - at least for a time.  The error is in believing that it is a long term answer.  Yes, it may be necessary at times but when the thrill of the fight become tantamount to the greater good it becomes a death match with no survivors.  

I am trying to  change my ways, not roll over or ever give the other cheek again but to strive for a middle ground where relationships work toward a functioning society.  Can we do this before the next civil war truly tears us apart?  

 

Tweet

Metallica ala Bill Bailey - Penultimate cover?

 

A Preponderance of Presentations - Infocomm 11 as seen from the Mobius Curve

Walking the floor at ICIA's Infocomm 11 trade show

 “Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.”

Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Infocomm is huge this year. From the entire show floor to the second level of classes and demos and breakout rooms throughout  it just seems to never end.

It has been twelve years since I last had the chance to see the show as an attendee and not a booth  builder slash floor barker and perhaps this has altered my perception of space at the show.   When you work the booth for a major manufacture there is little chance to wander from your post and explore -  one eats sleeps and yes poops the product(s) with little chance of getting beyond the immediate parcel of show floor .  The universe is indeed a very defined area during these days.

As attendee, well, it is like being transformed from Sisyphus into David Bowman , complete with wide eyed expression and a multitude of lights reflecting in them.

 
Being here at the show is a must, having a physical relationship with the products and people cannot be recreated by reading press releases or wandering the halls of  a ‘Virtual Tradeshow’.  Only when you can touch a device, turn it over in your hands and look into the -proverbial- eyes  and look directly into the - real- eyes of the company employee does one get  a connection with the possibilities.

This is not to argue against virtual connections. In addition to seeing the gadgets, gear and goodies in action I am excited to finally meet, face to face and beer mug to wine glass, the fine folks of #Avtweeps.  We are a group of  Audio Visual folks who have gathered a tribe on social media, more specifically Twitter.  The daily and sometimes hourly conversations are extremely constructive  and I could hardly imagine a day without ‘hearing’ from the group at least once a day.   

Truth is that I have sought out the company booths of the folks who regularly chat, chide and console each other via the avtweeps association because I trust them. And in turn I am more likely to trust the products - or at least give them the benefit of doubt.

As I head out to dive into day two of the show, my feet still ache and my knees feel as if someone put them on backwards I am determined to see as many demos and presentations as possible.  

Coming from the cloistered world of working for one major manufacture has me learning anew and re-submerging myself into an industry I had taken a short sabbatical from.

See you on the show floor, say hi and join me for a coffee and nosh at the Infocomm Lounge.

 

 

 

 

 

Hey #Infocomm11 #avtweeps What time is it? This>> http://youtu.be/Bp01uY4LW6c

Well Dang! It is Hot!

Have you ever noticed how extreme heat make clean space appear so much cleaner and normal space seem  grimy and forboding?  

Deep dark cold never seems to have this relationship.  

I have this urge to get cracking on projects, now that things are so clear - except that the heat took my energy away. 

Bob's Discount Furniture - I feel used and abused

My Misadventures with Bob Kaufman's Bob's Discount Furniture Store.  

 

The following is an open letter to Bob of Bob's Discount Furniture stores.  While I hope against hope to have my issue resolved quickly, my recent experience has left a vile taste in my mouth and a feeling to never shop there again.  I recommend to anyone reading this to avoid Bob's and find another store to shop at, even at twice the price

~ Since I wrote this letter, the issue has been resolved- still,  it took more work than I feel it should have to correct what was a relatively simple issue.  While I respect that the Bob's HQ team worked to help me- (only after this blog post caught fire)  -the process was a bit tortured, unnecessarily so.  I wish them luck in turning things ar0und. ~

*See Bottom - Updates Already!* 

 

The letter: 

I am very disappointed with the experience I have just had with the non- delivery of a Colorado bed set and I feel l that as a result it may very well be last purchase I make with your store.  I am told that ‘Bob’ reads each letter and comment- in hopes that this reaches him- my story.   

On May 1. 2011  we purchased the bed and two mattresses for a grand total of $1,200. While this is not an extraordinary amount of money it was/is for my family as I had only just previously lost my job due to cut backs.  The plan is to move my four and six year old sons into the one room they tended to share and sleep in anyway, a prospect they were very excited to have happen, so that we could build an office and establish area for my freelance consulting work.  

The Bed was scheduled to be delivered on Saturday June 4th and we received the requisite automated phone confirmations.  Because of this we disassembled the bedrooms, started to build the office and ready the, now, joint bedroom for the delivery of the bed.  The boys were hopping with excitement and were already making plans to personalize their beds and what pirate ship they would pretend it to be.

Our appointed window was to be between 10:49 and 1:49, to insure someone would be home I moved my weekend meetings to Monday night, which took some wrangling.  This is where the real fun begins and, I think, shows some serious faults in your customer care.

At 9:30 am, Saturday,  we received a call informing us that the installers found both the head and foot boards to be damaged - therefore the delivery could not take place.  My wife was a bit distraught at this as the boys had talked about nothing else for two solid days.  It was a rough discussion as the representative on the other end of the line could offer no other advise or a new date other to tell us that we were out of luck.

I called your customer support line only after finding that you have not a single presence in social - something that make me uncomfortable as a company with no social avenue is presumed to have no desire for real contact with its clients.   

I spoke with Tina who assured me that she was just as disappointed that we had been given such short notice and that the representative was not helpful.  Tina also offered, after listening to my rant, to reschedule the delivery during the coming week.   As the next available day was Tuesday, we agreed to schedule this with the understanding that it may need to change based on confirming my work schedule.  Unfortunately I nor my wife could make this work, so I called in again to schedule a time on Saturday.  I reached Angela who again was very accommodating but informed me that rails for my bed were now on back order and would not be available for delivery until June 28th!  This would mean that I will be taking delivery of a stock item a full two (x2) months after purchase!

Wait, what?! first I was told that the head/foot boards were damaged and could not be used but that we could reschedule a time to deliver and install later the same week.  NOW I am told the rails are not available and would have to wait a full month to take delivery.  The Question is whether the intent was to deliver the item without the rails- only telling me upon arrival - or was I just hoodwinked?   Was there actual damage to the unit?  why was it only discovered the day of delivery? Was this just a ruse to cover up a shortfall in parts?  As you will see from the customer support records I made numerous attempts to find a solution and shorten the delivery time. Each time I was told how sorry folks were but that, in effect, I had hit a six foot deep brick wall.

If this was a case of having to wait a week my frustration would diminish and most likely I would not speak ill of you or your company.  Now I am not only angry and frustrated but if find it difficult to describe the company and experience in anything other than vitriolic tones.

In Short Bob, What the heck ?!  Your supply chain and quality assurance is evidently in shambles as you expand the chain, insuring that stocking your new showrooms take precedent over you customers.  This apparent disregard makes me feel that I am nothing more than a walking wallet to you. I half expect to be told, after my money is safely in your greedy hands, to “have a nice day, please use the door to the right as you are now depreciating the showroom floor value by not having any potential cash to give us”.   You may have noticed that i have  used the word ‘Customer’ rather than client, something I loathe to do. I would like to think that most businesses see us as someone who is part of the process and a potential long term relationship not just a consumer - blindly devouring random products.   

As an end note:  I am also told that Bob is aware of the online / social commentary on his company.  In searching out reviews of Bob’s Discount Furniture online I notice an uptick cluster of complaints on this and related issues. In addition there is a twitter account @Bobopedic which suggests that it is the official account for your company.  If this is your official outreach it is not clear this is so.  It is hardly active and the bio is a long url link to what looks like a YouTube video. I did not click on this for two reasons:  1. No supporting bio info (and with the  long link you have exceeded the 140 character limit.. please use a  bit.ly link.  shortened link not only saves you space, it is verified by twitter and provides you with ready metrics on who clicked through, re-tweeted and commented on. 2.  No mention of social connection on your main web page.

It is my hope that we can find a way to resolve this issue quickly.  As for now, this letter will be posted as an open communication between us on my blogs and to my associates on social.   

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Have you had a similar experience with Bob's- I would love to know! I am considering contacting the local news consumer advocate folks..

 

 

Update:  June Sixth

 

Things may be taking a turn for the better! I just received this message:

 

Good Afternoon… My name is Nicole and I am a Manager for Bob’s Discount Furniture and would be more than happy to assist you with any concerns you have had with your experience and with our company..

 Please contact me at Nicolexxxx@MyBobs.com or call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx with your contact information so I can research your account and resolve your complaint. Your feedback is appreciated as it helps us directly address customer concerns and make necessary adjustments within our company to improve the customer experience which is very important to us..

 Looking forward to the opportunity to assist you…..

Sincerely, Nicole xxxxxxxxx Customer Care Liaison Manager Bob’s Discount Furniture, LLC.

 

Huzzah! More Progress! 

 

This time from Jennifer in Corporate Consumer Relations

 Just wanted to update you that I am working with my merchandising department to see what can be done to fill this order. Once I do get information back from them I will be able to better assist you. Will it be ok, if I get back in touch with you within the next 24 hrs? I will be stepping out of the office soon, and I want to make sure I have updated you. If I get information back before I leave today, I will definitely be in touch. 

 

Time will tell if this actually happens - details to follow 

 

 UpDate June 8th

My customer Care folks  - Nicole and Jennifer - have been trying to resolve my issue with great care and attention.  I only wish I was given the option of speaking with them when I called into customer support. 

While still will not have my bed until July 2nd they have offered us a discount on the bed and to have the delivery fee waived.   Truth be told I would much rather have the bed installed and my kids sleeping off the floor than have the money back.  Still the admission of a wrong by offering this is much appreciated.  

I am holding judgment until the unit is delivered and installed correctly.  I will be posting pictures 'live' as the delivery happens and updating this post weekly until then.

Nicole and Jennifer appear to be ramping up a social outreach plan for Bob's Discount Furniture to help directly alleviate the recent issues.   My advise is to admit an issue has occurred then move forward to resolving and preventing further lapses in inventory quality and availability. 

I hope they can do it. Such a task is fraught with long hours and lots of listening, not to mention pressuring corporate (and head hancho Bob Kaufman) to make real changes.  The social outreach is only a first step. 

Thanks to everyone who contacted me regarding this on my FB, Twitter, email and private boards- your  stories (both good an good bad about Bob's were helpful).

Stay Tuned

 

 

  *UPDATED Resolution! *  (see just above for the full timeline) 

We Actually had the units delivered Early!  The folks at Bob's came through and had the Bunk Bed here and built before 10 am!  Hurray ! 

Some Issues:  The bed has the smell of processed and treated wood which took almost a week of leaving the windows open to dissipate. 

Other than that, the kids Love it!   the Storage units are a great with two boys clothes and toys being squeezed into one room. 

Thank you bobs discount for coming through in the end. If the team keeps up this good work I have no doubt that the flood of issues and client complaints will be reduced dramatically. 

It may be sometime before I shop at Bobs again, but I will tell those who ask just how well it all came out. 

 

Lya De Putti, Doris - Flapper Riot Grrls

Lya DePutti, 1926 Source:  thesilentmovieblog.wordpress.com

            Lya De Putti, Doris - Flapper Riot Grrls

When this Picture came into my Tumblr stream my heart skipped a beat, but I was not sure exactly why. True, I am a fan of the 20’s flapper girls - their look and spirit, especially the Gibson Girls gone bad. Most of what I knew about these pre-pre-pre riot grrls was from the pulp fiction of the day and a few 1930s screwball comedies.

~ That is until I met Doris.

~ In the early 80s (my formative teenage years) I worked for my father at a condominium complex in Southampton NY. My Dad, being a local police officer -(actually he was the head radio officer so he was in contact with everyone who came into the main street station) - and local boy was in many ways was more readily recognized than the mayor in town. In his daily interactions he met and had business dealings with the gentleman who ran -(and owned?)- a tennis club across from the condo’s I was working at.

~ The gentleman -(forgive me I cannot for the life of me remember his name)- was a dapper individual who was fit as a fiddle and wore tennis whites nearly as often as he actually played. A man of a different age where class and adventure went hand in hand, he had many surprises in him one of which was that he worked as a Wing Walker during the late 20’s and 30’s. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, wing walkers were daring men who flew in acrobatic acts in bi-planes and would perform tricks atop the wings. They performed tricks which included standing on the top wing and hanging on while the pilot performed barrel rolls and jumping between two planes. These tricks were done with little safety gear. My new friend also had his ‘lady friend’ who was always around and obviously someone of great import.

~ This was Doris.

~ Doris was unlike any ‘old lady’ I had ever met, she was physically fit, she moved with grace and sure footed, brass but respectful, her conversations were laced with expletives yet she did not come off as coarse. Doris would always have music playing and eagerly asked what I was listening to on my walkman giving me gently scornful looks with some and gleeful toe taps to others. She did not wholesale dismiss me, but did ask me what I thought of hers and why. I learned a love of Jazz from Doris.

~ Doris also had a large collection of pictures showing great parties on yachts and at air fields all dressed in those silhouette dresses and close fitting hats. Doris also liked her 3 o’ Clock ‘constitutional’, followed by another - ‘I fought hard for this right’ she would tell me. I have always been a curious person and screwed up the courage to ask her about what it was like - ‘Back then’. I figured that I had someone who lived during a time of the films I watched every Saturday afternoon, why not hear her tales. I learned a lot about the music, the rapture of post war(one) freedom- the free love that would inspire 60’s culture, life after the crash and the devil may care rush of speakeasies.

~ Among the photos, bric-a-brac and books were a collection of movie posters going back to the teens and up to the 60’s, Doris worked as a ticket girl at a local movie theater for sometime it seems while she ‘dated’ a dashing airshow performer. Looking through the posters one afternoon while talking I came upon one for ‘The Sorrow of Satan’. I remember it because at the time I was still fearful of my unspoken questions about religion and the constant din from church on the power of Satan. You just did not see imagery like this is the sedate little world of the hamptons. Little was I to know that I would be submerged into macabre collections upon moving to Manhattan

~ The name Lya De Putti stuck in my head because I thought it sounded funny because of my teenage toilet humor - yeah, real sophisticated kid I was.

~ Did my aesthetic start to develop there, in that cluttered but well situated little room, or was it already there waiting to flower with exposure? Thanks Doris, you lived life and still live in my love of stories. I do not know where Doris is buried but Lya De Putti is six feet under at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York, I may lay a flower down in memory of both.

Original post from my alt tumblr blog 

Make Music not AutoTune porn

Forgive me for this rare expletive laced first line. What the fark is it with auto tuned voices being considered
the young hip sound?  Would the inventor of this heinous product please stand up and into an open field to  be properly dispatched by a firing squad? 

Now, do not get me wrong, I am no musical purist pole sitting up on an ivory column denigrating everything but my own preferred genre, nor is this a screed against today’s youth culture.

I dove in head first to the late 80’s synth sound revolution that dispensed with natural instruments. I am also an obsessed fan of Raymond Scott, the 1940’s & 50’s jazz musician who used his hand-built mechanical synthesisers and relay based sequencers to create new, and to some -bizarre, sounds.  


To be hone st vocal treatments of pop and not so pop stars has been a common practice since Les Paul first stacked recording heads and created multi-track and overdubbing. The process was subtle though, a minor tweak to vocals that could match the recording at live events. In this respect I see the value of auto tune in the same vein as outboard gear based on the work of Joe Meek. Similar to Raymond Scott, Joe Meek created his own equipment to process recordings to bring out new dimensions of the emerging rock music scene. 

So, this experimentation and stereotypical overuse is nothing new but there is a greater abuse occurring with auto tune, something  I am calling it  the gallop effect.  

Cindy Gallop is a brand marketing  leader who has also developed several websites including the micro
 action sites “If I Ran the World” and “Make Love Not Porn”.  The latter is an attempt to upend the deleterious effects of porn as sex ed on the under 25 crowd, where acts like ‘the money shot’ are  perceived to be normal and ‘whats supposed to happen’ by both genders. To be clear Ms Gallop’s screed is not anti porn, far from it. What it does fight is a grievous ignorance of the basic facts of sex akin to what 40’s and 50’s mass culture taught (or lacked to tell) their children and what Kinsey railed against - setting in motion a revolution. That cultural shift of openness and honesty eventually led us to a cultural confusion based on a tsunami of readily available media but no grounding in human sexuality from sex ed classes and more importantly parental honesty.

 

The shift in perception that abuse of tools like the now dreaded auto tune (and adult films) begin to alter what characteristics we find to be the height of beauty. Whether  it is the cosmetically enhanced starlets of porn or the equally Frankenstein vocals, the ubiquity overwhelms our frame of reference and imperfections become magnified. When nothing but perceived perfection is acceptable, what happens when you encounter an actual human voice?

Which is why I will still take a warble prone alt-punk singer whose voice carries authentic character over the vocal equivalent of the movie LOOKER’s main foil Cindy, the 1980’s   predecessor to S1m0ne, where perfection has deadly results.  

Of course there is one use of  this device that may just save humanity- Auto Tune the news, Bill and Ted should be so influential. 

 

 

 

 

Tweet

ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa

It would appear that Walter Mitty is alive and well, in New Zealand.   

The MSNBC story states: 

Stephen Wilce, the former director of defense technology, resigned in September and the following month a military court found he had embellished his career in the military, education and life in general, The New Zealand Herald reported. However, it also found he had not lied on his resume.

BBC News reported that he had claimed to have competed against the famous Jamaican bobsled team — who featured in the film Cool Runnings — at the Olympics; served as a helicopter pilot with the U.K.'s Prince Andrew; been a British spy; played international rugby for Wales and been a folk music guitarist.

Investigators found that none of this was true, the BBC said. Wilce admitted that he had been making up stories about himself since he was a child.

 

Sounds quite familiar, no?

                          

Tweet

Muybridge is So Cool He's Gotta Wear Shades

  Muybridge is So Cool; He's Gotta Wear Shades

3D TV and the Consumer Electronic Follies

 Technical buzzwords are such evocative things, love 'em or hate 'em, they help us to wrap our heads around complicated concepts and give the Marketers something to peddle to the masses and snake oil carpetbaggers a new label to misappropriate. 

When High-definition panels started to really take traction in the home market, HD became the buzzword that every manufacturer, tech magazine, and consumer electronics device had to include – regardless of the actual ability to do anything constructive with an HD signal. 

Many of you who, as I do, spend many undesired hours awake at 2 am will recall ads for HD vision glasses. The ad's line is- 'See in HD'! An associate who will remain anonymous to lessen his shame bought a pair and claimed that they work but give him a headache after a few hours. If the glasses were not enough, a few days ago, I heard an advertisement for a 3D-branded electric shaver; my head hurts thinking about that.

Speaking of Headaches and 3D.

 3D is everywhere, or at least the promise of it for the mass market is the talk of every AV magazine, blog, and Box Store' sales associate'. If you haven't heard the ceaseless din of 3D-ready devices and displays, I can presume you still use a TV that will change channels if an errant slinky is nearby. The last time I heard such over hype was when they announced the (never released) Brenda Starr movie.

The success of Avatar whipped up a frenzy amongst integrators and manufacturers in a down economy looking for any path that could generate revenue. From system upgrades and hardware sales to movie productions and disc sales, yes, indeed, 3D could just save the Earth from becoming an interstellar highway bypass. 

The Road To Nausea  

As a kid, I watched with religious fervor the WPIX broadcasts of the 1940s and 50's movies on Sunday afternoons. The station ran trailers between the Abbot and Costello features to fill in time. Invariably, at least one Vincent Price 3D trailer was shown. Watching these films in the theater must have made one feel like Marty Feldman on a hyperthyroidism bender; at least, that is how I felt upon leaving the theater after watching Avatar. 

Honestly, what other AV technology has the AMA warning against '…pregnant women, the elderly, and drunks…" from using 3D displays? Nintendo has put out a warning that children under six should not use the 3DS at all. Will theaters have to start stationing nurses outside or have patrons sign a release prior to viewing, just as producers for 'The Blob' did? Except this time, will it be for real?

Is this really the legacy of Muybridge's work and gentle afternoons in Victorian sitting rooms with Stereoscopic viewers? Is there a mass audience who wants to enjoy ducking flyspecks or Leonopteryx poop flying out at them from the screen in the comfort of their home? 

 A Short History Lesson

Muybridge created a series of 'animal locomotion 'photos using multiple cameras, strobes, and a wire trigger system. If you do not recognize Muybridge, you have been exposed to his work numerous times; most folks have seen 'woman descending stairs'- whether you intended to or not. The 'locomotion studies' showed animals of all species running and jumping; most contained studies of human locomotion. 

Most of the human locomotion photos studied female models in gauzy material. Not surprisingly, Muybridge's lectures were restricted to male audience members only. Thomas Edison later bought a large section of Muybridge's work and equipment and sequestered himself in his Secaucus, NJ lab, where the first motion pictures were soon after 'invented.'

The connection? Pundits of the time gave very little credence to Mr. Edison or Muybridge's creations aside from a passing fancy.

Shady Shades

Of course, 3D has a future; the question is, will it revolutionize the way we watch media at home? Just as with HD and surround sound, the results are stunning when it is done right; when done wrong, it can make you physically ill.

 

I do not see 3D becoming the de facto way to present media. Gaming and interactive training concepts work really well, but I still cannot see myself and my friends gathered around the TV wearing silly glasses and jockeying for the 'sweet' spot during a game. Yes, I have seen demos at Infocomm and CEDIA, but the experience is always singular- encased and separated from my fellow viewers by a hunk of hardware on my head. 

Besides, I am more of a Blue-Blockers kinda guy.

 

 

Was I Supposed to be Excited about this? Really

Um, YAWN

 

 

 < Tweet

Unpacking the Nano- Random Fandom Presents the Strangest Things

I am a 'fan' of the Cornell University Facebook  page, obstensibly because they use my employers products in their facility.  I could have simply added the Cornell page to the company fan page, but I also 'liked' them to my personal page.  

Why?  

Because they present thought provoking gems like  the 'Unpacking the Nano'  (the Car from India, not the ubiquitious media player).  

what do you think?

 

 

Unpacking the Nano," on display Jan. 15--Mar. 27, 2011 at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, explores the potential impact of Tata Motors' Nano, the revolutionary $2,500 car made in India. AAP alumnus Ratan Tata '59, B.Arch '62, is chairman of the Tata Group, which owns Tata Motors.

 

Tweet

iPad as Analog Computer

 

This is the first piece to actually make me excited about an iPad.   

Personally and practically I would not like the carriage  to move but an awesome Steampunk-esq application.  I had an Olympia portable my Mom gave me in High School that would work perfectly.  

Hey Mom! would you mind looking at my boxes in attic?  Thanks!. 

Fans of Steampunk can be separated into two camps, the aesthetics and the practicals (does not make for a great musical but the lines of division can be just a strong).  Interestingly both groups make their own objects with the former concerned with recreating the look of a an alternate steam tech universe and the latter in making working interpretations. 

An associate of mine Jonathan Danforth is of the latter group. He has created a retro-modernist combination of MP3 technology and the Victrola.   Called the Digitrola it is a thing to still the heart. 

 

Danforth has documented the complete process along with a video of the unit in action.  You can see it here.  We have lost a a sense of style with our modern age. 

 

 

 

 

Tweet

Emanuel Goldstein - You've Been Made Redundant, Old Chap

It is remarkable the amount of privacy we are willing to give up with our online presence; we open our homes, intimate relationships, and business dealings for all the world to see. (Privacy settings or not, the info will always be found outside the environment if you know where to look and want to put the effort in). 

This over-exposure for the sake of desired recognition in an increasingly congested world is a new phenomenon brought on by the advent of Facebook and Twitter. There is a long history of groups and individuals exposing the salacious and mundane of their daily lives for all to see on the internet as part of what is now called lifecasting. Some of the early provocateurs:

Jennicam – a 7-year project where Jennifer Ringley started with one camera in her, often empty, dorm room to life with cameras in every room of the house, documenting every aspect and function of her life. As a work-from-home ‘web designer,’ she provided both free-(a picture update every 10 seconds) and paid –(update every couple of seconds and eventually live streaming as broadband became more widely available) access, garnering nearly three million viewers a day.  Jennicam was among the first to create and broadcast video blogs, recapping the week or covering events she attended. 

 

AnaCam- unlike Jennicam, where the rhythms of everyday life played out without much planning, AnaCam incorporated daily life into a surrealist dada-inspired performance.  Sexuality and the act of playing a major role in anacam, but to combine it with later sex cam pornography sites is missing the point.  To Ana Voog, art is as messy as life, and life (in a situationist-like philosophy) is art.  The mundane moments of life are here but Ms Voog strives to fill them, sometimes desperately, often with confounding absurdum.  

 

Josh Harris – Josh Harris was an internet pioneer and creator of Pseudo.com, the first internet broadcasting company. Possibly taking his lead from Jennicam and AnaCam, Mr. Harris created a project where he, his girlfriend, and a collective of like-minded internet aficionados lived every moment on camera.  The “We Live in Public” project started with much hoopla and promise and ended with devastating financial and emotional results for all involved.  The project shows just how unprepared society was for the implications of a life where privacy is not expected.

For some, the ability to live in public is a revelation that forces self-examination of values and social mores.  I, for one, entered into this world only after being assured in the comfort of my beliefs (or lack thereof) and, more importantly, the conversations and debates they generate.  Social exposure can be beneficial to others seeking to find kindred spirits, to know that they are not alone. It can also be a tool of the dictatorial, a force for overzealous parental paranoia (it will destroy ya’) and unrepentant theocrats.  

The English have a long and inbred fascination with Huxley and Orwellian foreshadowing’s as Clearly evidenced by the BBC series ‘the Prisoner’.   The Prisoner is a continuation of the show ‘Secret Agent Man’, except now our intrepid hero has decided to leave his profession, only to be kidnapped and sent to a special island.  The Island has a strict hierarchy where every movement is watched and recorded.  Our now captive agent looks to escape but also enjoys confounding and twisting his interrogator's tricks upon themselves. Often, we are left to wonder if he really desires escape or just the challenge.  Perhaps the whole series is a rebellion against the stricture of over-ambitious social rejections and the outrage of enforced boredom.

The band ‘The Get Out Clause’ came into the breach with their video ‘Paper.’ Whether intentioned or not, the video is a nifty encapsulation of my above ranting.  To understand why this video is so remarkable it may be helpful to note that England has the single most extensive network of CCTV ‘public safety’ cameras and street microphones of any country.  The system intends to cut down the time the police take to identify trouble and send units to restore order.  The English public is, as you would expect, both dependant on and frightfully fearful of the big brother in the sky.  In an effort to give the public a feeling of control and assuage fears, lawmakers insisted on making all films on demand.  One must request tapes for a specific location, time, date, and duration.  The result is the following video:

 

 

 

 

Tweet

8-bit Nostalgia and Miss September 63's Influence on Tactile Controls.

I love my wife’s new nano, the slickness of the interface, its ease of use and the fluid movement of pages on such a small screen is pretty darn cool.  I almost wish Apple would release a developer’s kit to add a control interface capability. Aww, com’on you know you agree, this would be the ultimate key fob.

Yet, am I alone in feeling that the new nano and even the iPad is well, soul-less? I am troubled- only somewhat mildly mind you (I DO work in the belly of the beast)- by the frictionless gloss of icons.  In fact, in the spirit of true disclosure I have to admit that I do not get surround sound, having compared it to overblown quad some years back on a pro AV forum on AOL.   I still, mostly, stand by that assessment today. 

Which brings me to my main point; I miss the tactile feel of a physical interface.  Perhaps it is simple nostalgia but I long for the clickty-clack-clunk of an 8-track tape, the solid mechanical ka-chunk of open reel tape decks, and the tactile feel and response of weighted gain knobs. I am not sure just why I love these knobs so much, the sheer pleasure of them in my hand – they just feel right, perfectly balanced in my fingers and against my palm.  I could make an innuendo here, which would be apt and very Miss September 63, but I think you get the gist.  So deep is my love for the classic high-end gain knob that I argued vehemently to include a version on a product, I was asked to do some preliminary concept work on. (I also wanted it to have a more ‘retro’ look with a maple or cherry wood front. Perhaps I do have too many vintage Playboys with their Cutty Shark ads).  The product got its gain knob but the front is basic black and silver.  

Additionally I tend to gravitate toward older looking games. I still watch in awe at the offerings G4 reviews and get that reflexive itch when I am near new game consoles but I am drawn by a greater gravitational pull – the text based Zork.  If you have ever played this game, you know what I am taking about.  It is a simple game really; it is a treasure hunt with fighting trolls, endless caverns, singing demons in hades and an abandoned dam.  All of this, and your action commands, are in text for which you have to draw maps if you are to get through it all.  It is work, hands on paper and brain imagining in 3 dimensions. Do you know the old saying, that things are far more provocative when a little is left to the imagination, yeah – Sophia Loren like.

So, why I am blathering on about all this? What point could I possibly be trying to make?  I really dig this video by HOLLERADO:

 The Video is a one shot, one chance to get it right, human analog of effects.  'There was a time when we made things with our hands'

 

 

 

Tweet

Team True Blue Rides for a Cure or No Man is an Island

Originally Posted October 1st, 2010

Team True Blue, a charity riding team are riding in the 2010 Bike MS NYC to help raise funds to find a cure for MS. The team- Jeff Singer, Glenn Pernick, Steve Swartzentruber, and Randy Surovy are participating in their second Bike MS NYC event, completely topping their previous fund raising goals. Congratulations guys!  

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society really needs your help to fund the research, to find the cause, provide education, programs and services to those who have been diagnosed and their families.  The  research  funded by these MS events have helped to make some incredible medicaladvances  in the understanding of MS, yet we only have better drugs and therapies not a cure forr the 400,000 people living with MS in America-(some of whom I work with).

Giving back, whether riding in a charity event, helping out at the local food bank or volunteering as a mentor – knowing that you helped make things just a little bit better, it’s the best feeling.

Sunday is expected to be sunny and crisp, perfect weather to enjoy the ride and the fun of a BBQ lunch, live music and camaraderie of friends in raising awareness.  Last year’s event was a hoot and this year is expected to be even better! If you are in NYC on October 3rd join us to cheer on Team True Blue and all the Bike MS NYC participants, or if you cannot make, it follow them at http://bit.ly/cj70up
 

 

UPDATE:  Oct, 4th 2010

Team True Blue  had a great day at the Bike MS NYC  on Sunday.  So far Team True Blue has raised over $2500.00, but the chance to donate is still available to you - just click on the link above.   

Who do we ride for?  We ride for a family member, neighbors, associates and co-workers, in short for everyone as we all know someone who has been affected by MS.  Wether you are diagnosed, related to, or friends with someone who suffers - everyone has someone.   

 This year True Blue Rides for Donna Allen, Crestron client Representative in the Rockiegh NJ office. When you talk to Donna you would never know that she is fighting MS as she is always upbeat   and happy to see you.  Donna, in her 30's now walks with a cane and stairs can be tricky.  What you and I may see as a road block  only motivates Donna to work harder.   Because Donna will not stop moving forward, neither can we.  Even the riders took motivation from Donnas’ struggle, Glenn Pernick summed it up for the whole team: “There were a couple of times we were going up these killer hills and my legs were burning.  I was in pain and I just thought about Donna and all the struggles she lives with.  She was a real inspiration and gave the ride purpose and meaning.”

Join us in the fight by participating  in fund rasing events,  donating or volunteering at your local  Multiple Sclerosis Society office.

If you are still not convinced that all this really does help, I will let Donna have the final word:  "I have been living with Multiple Sclerosis just over 10 years now and find the best therapy is having a positive attitude, but most of all, having a huge support system. I am so proud and honored that the True Blue Team rode for me. I cannot thank them enough."

 

From my Tumblr Blog - Tucker's Tertiary

 

Five Year Olds Musical Mashup Breaks the Law of Conversation of Mass and Energy

We have played music, specifically John Coltrane’s Black Peals –(Hackensack, 1958. Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder – Most likely on a band saw machine)- for my oldest from in utero to the present day. Rooster seems to have an innate sense of musical structure and is drawn to instruments as well as humming song fragments when he is concentrating.

We have introduced a variety of formats and musical genres to him such as Jonny Cash country, bluegrass, rock, pop and a little bit of Classical/ Opera. Some of his new favorites are Etta James and Kidz Bop 12.

Yesterday I happen to catch him half humming, half sing song combining the Black Pearl intro with Sunday Lover. When I asked him what he was singing he returned with a question –‘Dadu’ –(what my kids call me) – ‘do you think Kidz Bop can sing Etta James songs?’ I said I was not sure but we could email them and ask.

I write about this story not to coquettishly point out my son as a prodigy or musical genius but at the power of music, however glancing, can have on everyone but especially a child. Rooster –(my name for my oldest)- hums Coltrane music to his school friends and adults, telling them with a joy only a child can produce who it is and that ‘Trane rocks’. This does not happen every day but enough for me to note it.

It only takes one innocent and joyful person to spread the virus of culture – the joy of learning. So many doors of thought are opened up for me from my children’s honest combining of ideas. Concepts we as adults reject outright because we know that they should not go together are freely combined by children – creating new forms if only transitory in its existence. Perhaps I am simply channeling Art Linkletter in my own way but I am learning so much from watching my children process what we offer them, in return gifting us with fantastical creations we are the better for being exposed to.

A child’s imagination frequently and fragrantly breaks the law of conservation of mass and matter. Much like Arthur dent learning to fly we adults have to relearn that by flying simply as a result of not hitting the ground means that you can. How many interviews with innovative business people have you heard say, if we knew what we were doing – we would not have done it.

The laws of physics be dammed, create your own rules, make your own universes