Maybe it lies in the stars and planets - I read somewhere that the way the stars and planets are positioned has a great influence on everything that happens on earth.

ah, solar flares and El Nino...

I just ordered a recordable CD-R (about $500) to do backup snapshots of the systems we run and we're working on procedures for rapid recovery. We also need to work out better access to our server site from DDC, so we can get in and bring things back up. I am building a Pentium with dual 4 gb drives and 128 mb of ram memory which will have a backup CD that we can run off of if either of these mirrored hard drives goes down. Triple redundancy. I don't think we'll have this ready in 7 days, but at least we're working on better recovery procedures. This machine has been going along for about 4 years now without a break, so generally I'd say the track record has been pretty good. If you sense a problem, please email me *and* our system admin Jeff Kramer at jeff@spring.net,jeffk@well.com so we can take preventative measures. If the system goes down email mriser@ddc.net,jeffk@well.com,pwalhus@tivoli.com,rross@ddc.net. Wow, that respond hung out on my screen for 12 hours before I entered it!

Warning: a comment slipped in ahead of yours at 102!

Umm, nah, Terry. Hip Hop, Rap, not really my type. I like some R&B, though. I stick to Alternative. Is there any item for The Wallflowers?? Love their new one "Heroes".

a belated welcome, MaryBeth from whence doest thou hail?

You're welcome to start one in the music conference, Mary Beth.

Hi, Mary Beth. That's a really nice name. What kind of music do you like?

Gee, thanks Riette. I've always thought it's too long. I like Alternative. Um...Mike, I'm from Guam.

So, is this background like, okay?

brilliant, Muffin, just Brilliant!!

Although I've lived in the South most of my life, I never really liked country music until I moved to Austin. Mainly because country music radio generally sucks, and most of what Nashville puts out sucks, excepts for the Mavericks, Dwight Yoakum, and a few others. But in Austin radio stations play OLD country music (Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Haggard), and that stuff's got a lot of soul. Also, bands here in Austin take chances and experiment with the country sound. Some of my musician buddies now play c untry music but they used to be punk rockers. I also like blues and R&B (check out Erykah Badu's album). Grew up on Southern rock, and I still have my old Allmann Bros. and Lynrd Skynrd records from high school, although I no longer have a turntable. I tend to go the the "rootsy" rock sound. Love Los Lobos!

What year did you graduate, George? (I have a feeling we went to school together :-) My dad is a huge C&W fan, but only the old stuff--Patsy Cline, Johnnny Cash, etc. My sister gave him a Leann Rimes tape for Xmas and he looked at it like it had a disease or something. It's probably still got the cellophane on it.

Autumn, you would hint around about my age when my B-day's Friday ;). If you were a teenager in the South, the pickings were pretty slim musically. Let's just say I'm old enough to have gone to high school parties when "Frampton Comes Alive" dominated the party's stereo ( sometimes on 8-track!).

Do you...feel like I do?? Ha-ha, the eternal musical question. Saw him briefly on VH-1 the other night and man! I would never have recognized him. Very clean cut. Seems they are remastering "FCA" for re-release. Happy Birthday!

I get such a kick out of hearing people, who are so much younger than I am, talking about how old they feel. When I was in high school, we recorded the music for the party on a reel to reel recorder, prior to the party, because records would skip when we danced to the music.

OK, reel-to-reel is definitely before my time, but I still own my fair share of albums.

We had a few albums, but most of the stuff was on 45s. Some things were on 78s Remember the old turntables with 4 speeds? I never came across anything at 16 2/3, but it was fun to use the speed to play a 45.

God, I feel so incredibly young!

You mean you don't remember the old wind-up Victrolas with the wax cylinders? You don't remember when a needle was a solid piece of steel, and the tone arm was a piece of hollow metal that carried the sound up to the horn? I'm glad you feel good about this.

Yeah, we used to play 45s on 78 speed to make them sound like singing chipmunks! We thought we were sooooo funny!

I like that also, and playing a 78 on 16 made a song sound like a grizzly bear with constipation.

We thought it was spooky....

I'd have to agree with spooky, It'd make a great background for a halloween haunted house!!

Defenitely before my time - as will the cassette recorder be to my kids!

Or as the 8 Track recorder is to your kids!

What's an 8 Track recorder?

It records and plays on 8 Track tapes. It is what was in use before cassette.

Kids today!

I MEAN!!! Probably blow her mind if I asked about the wax cylinders for the old Victrola.

What? I really have no idea what you're talking about.

Before discs records were made of wax and were a hollow cylinder.

Holy cow, that's amazing! You SAW one??

Riette, I have played them. The music quality is excellent.

How very cool!

The music quality was superior to anything prior to the late forties. HOWEVER, they were very fragile.

And extremely heavy. My dad has my grandmother's victrola and all her old albums, which are probably worth some major $$ now.

Yes, they are, but even if they weren't, They are a treasure.

Hey y'all - just discovered this site. VERY cool!! Anyhow, believe it or not I am huge fan of the SPICE GIRLS. Does anyone else LISTEN to their MUSIC? I have many songs by them, including both cd's and more... I do also listen to everything from AC/DC, early Metallica, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Donna SUmmer, Blondie, James Brown, Chuck Berry, BUDDY HOLLY!, Flock Of Seagulls, CARS, Wang Chung, and much much more...

Welcome, Dave, hope you like the place well enough to hang around awhile... did you see the Spice Girls topic? It's topic 24...

welcome, dave! AC/DC and early Metallica! YES!

Huh, I don't want to sound off, but some Info here is, hmh, *difficult* at leat as Victrolas and wax cylinders are concerned. Vitrolas are generally models of Gramophones, made by the Victor Company, using 78s (also known as shellac discs, named for the black, brittle material). Gramophones were in use from approx. 1880 onwards. 78s were produced till well into the sixties; I own e.g. Caruso, Hank Williams and Elvis P.-78s. Wax cylinders were technically the older product, invented by Edison, but not really as good a mass product as gramophone records. For this Edison-technology, check out: http://www.tinfoil.com/ , where you ca listen to wax cylinders. If you really own some, Glenn Sage offers recording + putting them on CD for you before returnng them. I know electric wax cylinder players (phonographs) from the 20ies are sold for around $300. Recordings vary in price. Want more?

Besides being a smart-ass, I collect 78s of all ages. I'm editor of a music magazine in Germany, subtly named SUPERSTAR. We cover alternative and other styles, mostly acts who are recording but not major sellers. Real musicians, who work their arses off every night for some grub, a stage and gas-money. Right now I listen to Bobby Conn (Rise UP!) from Chicago, german organ-playing acts, San Francisco songwriter Susan James (touring Germany soon) and tango from Finland, which is like arctic blues 'n' vodka.

Welcome, Alexander Smart-Ass! :-) Any act that can be characterized as "arctic blues 'n vodka" I gotta love! Glad to have you here.

yep...there's a whole lotta smart asses around, so you should fit right in! what's the url for SUPERSTAR, Alexander?

Uh, thanks for the hearty welcome, folks! OK, good news & bad news. superstar's url WILL be http://www.superstar-online.com and www.superstar-online.de ; we've already got rights to the domains and everything, but had no time to put something on the web yet. Sorry, Kitchen - you'll be the first to know. Wanna see paper-issue? I could mail a copy over, if you are all that curious. We have some english-language-pieces, but most is german. New copy goes to the printer tomorrow. Been a busy boy! Finnish tango: the CD is available from german label Trikont in Munich. If you're interested, I could find out about distribution to the US. Definitely a HOT but COOL tip - very melancholic, very moving. Not like this sexy-hot cliche associated with tango, but very mellow and bluesy. Wait, gotta put it on the stereo right away... ;=} =

I wanna see the paper issue!!!! Take issue all you want with some of the smack talked in the topics... we LIKE it!!! Welcome here! BTW, where in Germany??? I'm going next month! OOps. THIS month!!

when it goes up, we'll start a topic on it... oh, he[[, why wait?

Huh, I see you couldn't hold it, eh, Kitchen? Anyway, anybody interested in getting the next issue of superstar (superstar #12), drop me a email with where to send it to. I'll check with our distribution genius on terms + pricing, and get back to you. That does not count for Stacey, however! Stacey, when you are coming over after March 18th, superstar should be available at every trainstation's newsagent. In Berlin, you should get it at every bigger nwesagent who's got some variety in the music mag department. If you like to, write me where you go to in Germany and how long you stay, and I'll see if I can find you some nice concerts. E.g. The guy who wrote the "tango in Finland" article gets a tango band from Finland to tour March to April. One stop will be Frankfurt, but I forgot when exactly. Interested?

Woo Woo! I'll be staying in Berlin for one week Mar 13-19 and then to Prauge March 20-25 or 26, then to Italy (Venice and/or Milan and/or Verona and/or anywhere in between!) then flying out of Munich so maybe a day or two in the city... Oh, I leave from Munich on April 2. And I will surely look for superstar!!

so, Alexander, when are you going to volunteer to host this conference? (or maybe media or the completely under-utilized song...)

*?!*

explain your question, please...

THAT was exactly what I tried to say to you, Wer. ;=}

so, you gonna be like that, huh?

Naw, I'm gonna be worse! I just tried to find out what you meant with Response 151 (Wer's Area 151 ?), but I know now you were kidding me (I think). So, do we share a laugh or what!?

not kidding, I was being completely serious... I guess it looks like we're going to share a what!

OK, then pass me some, too. Anyway, what DO you mean? Sounds like chores and work... items I'm well supplied with at this specific moment. Fill me in.

the chores and work only pile as high as you want... the main responsibility(?) of the host is to get new people into their conference and posting...

Considering personally available ressources, I'm already posting away like crazy (yap, just like that...). I've asked Tennessee to pop over, and I think Terry published an "invite this puppy over" from me somewhere in inner. So. Hey, that ALREADY makes me a host! Wow. (Player A has drawn. Expecting your move, Player B.)

done your turn

(Uh, lemme think, that don't look tooo - Wait, what's that! Quick, Wer, look over there! What's that!) *quickly rearranges pieces* (Naw, just looked like it, sorry... Anyway, let me just move this... there... Yes, that's ok. Check!)

(well, as long as you don't expect us to mate...)

Are we gonna talk about chess or are we gonna talk about music?

hmmm...Alexander?

Ahem, Autumn, WE are of course talking music. Just ignore old Wer, he gets like that sometimes. What did you listen to lately? Any good concerts?

Are you kidding?? My concert days are over, unless my daughters drag me to see 'N Sync or Backstreet Boys someday (*shudder*). My sister-in-law just saw the Stones for the umpteenth time a few weeks ago. She still has a flower that Mick threw out to the audience when she saw them in Paris in the sixties.

I'm gonna give you a good talking to, as soon as my busy schedule allows. Right now, gotta catch a drink... ;=} Mick: Bet he didn't look half as good as that flower after all those years!

Hi, my name's Jimmie. I let my husband take care of my 2 daughters when I want to see a show. Other times I drop them off with a good friend, and then I go see the show with my husband.....then I take care of my friend's kids at another time when they're in need of going out, as part of the bargain. I've paid a babysitter before, too. I hope I haven't been very helpful. It was nice seeing y'all again, and I will now scoot on back off into the the receding stark dark which will surely swallow me up in time to disappear enough to vanish.

gotta watch receding into the dark, Jim, as you may just bump into me...

So, Werby, that's what happened - you switched the lights off again - and there are the yellow spots again, too! ANd the read ones. This seems to be http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/screwed/124 , right?

So, Werby, that's what happened - you switched the lights off again - and there are the yellow spots again, too! And the read ones. This seems to be http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/screwed/124 , right?

So, Werby, that's what happened - you switched the lights off again - and there are the yellow spots again, too! And the red ones. This seems to be http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/screwed/124 , right?

Huh, what did I have for breakfast? This hickup it gave me sure is bad! Anyways, Jim, that's omitting two more subtle problems that come with time going by, being preoccupied with other stuff (e.g. raising kids, trying to keep rest of brains left, etc.). First thing, you get worn out and tired. Feel happy just to be left alone in your home, before crawling to bed, just to relive the same another day. Next is, this gets you out of touch with the "scene", what's good to see, what you'd hate and what you'd love. Trust me, it's more than just outsourcing childcare for an evening. It's also a question of energy and interest. Can't help with the energy thing, but I'll sure work on the interest thing, just give me some time. Too bad I don't know your scene too well, and even worse, you folks can't drop over to come to a concert with me over here. Still, let me try.

Lead us on, Alexander...

what happened??? Alexander was knighted and then he took off on his horse of a different color???

And! My horse is called Bunny, to honor Bobby Conn's vision of things to come! (did you read his piece?) Or, to tell it the other way round, Stacey, you were gone quite a while... You only could have stopped this madness, but... Anyway, look at what they did to me! (And! They think it's funny, too!)

Oh, Stacey - and guess Bunny's colour!

verigated!

:={ you didn't get the mag. tears drench the ground beneath my feet.

now, that is a sad and terrible thing to see...

*sniff* *sniff* man, sorry man... (i suck!)

Well, ok, one lost, one gained. Somebody else will have bought that copy. I hope.

ummm... THAT's it! They were all sold out!!!

I heard Stacey and Brandon are going to register for their own subscription at the bridal registry...

I think Crate and Barrel supplies subscriptions, no?

Well, the registry thing - I'll try to have our distribution branch contact your community's registry office. Cool, eh, get a gal and a mag (or: a guy and a mag)! What more can you want! Oh, and I'll have the Crate&Barrel-Bros. on standby next time they come round this place...

I think you can pick it up at Bed, Bath and Beyond...

*?*

This is a mega-store that I've never quite had the courage to enter. I think it must contain more towels and sheets than you can shake a stick at. What the "Beyond" entails exactly, I shudder to think. Anyone?

with Stacey's help, maybe I can show you...

Uh, then I'm totally lost, Autumn - since when do they carry excellent international magazines? But then, how would you know, if you never entered it? I'm getting dizzy again... Wer, willya! SHE's enganged, fer Pete's sake! You guys are not supposed to do that until she's married properly!

enganged huh? is that like being engaged?

More or less. It appreciates the fact more that you were abducted to a foreign country, got your brain washed by all the new sights, and then he ganged up on you. This special FBI group ought to do some serious investigating in your case, what's what they're called, Fox Files, Agent X, or what. (Gimme a break. I can't always make up a tale as tall as that, every time I mistype - which happnes all the time!)

*laugh* at least you tried (to make up a good excuse!) that's what counts!

actually, I don't think Stace and I are supposed to do that at all...

Why not? You're so damned good at it!

it helps when you have a GREAT partner...

Yeah! And that's why she's called Sta-cey. When she's done with ya, it'll 'Sta' up - 'Cey'?

*cackle*