I'm in the same boat. I've been going to shows and playing in bands for a long time. My hearing has been shot for years.
However, I still play in bands(can't help myself...) and used the standard foam ear plugs for years, which cut so much of certain frequencies.
My guitar player turned me onto the custom fit ear plugs with insertable db reducing "mini-plugs". These things are great. They custom fit your ear canal(via a visit to the ear doctor), so they fit perfect, and you have two different db cutting plugs to put into them. These things are great to play AND sing with, unlike the foam style plugs.
You can also get these as in-ear monitors. Westone.
I usually don't "plug" companies unless I've had a good experience with them.
It's only a matter of time until the resources required to create meat get stressed to the point of pricing it out of most peoples diet. The fact that the developing world, especially China, is increasing the amount of meat in its diet will only increase the problem and quicken the change.
The American Fast Food Industrial Complex that has led the way in shaping the American diet and it's addiction to Beef will have to re-shape the American diet towards vegetarianism.
My maternal grandfather was 67 when my mother was born... No joke. He had a reputation as a very "sturdy" individual.
His children have all been very healthy and are all doing fine. The only negative attribute passed on, which endures through the lineage is a propensity for the drink.
First off, go fuck yourself and your "45+" ageism.
Second, if TSA cleared him, meaning he is no threat, then the pilot or whatever other deuchebag that got their panties in a twist over his shirt should not have had a problem. Grandma in a state of unease? Fuck you. I fly regularly and see people wearing OTT Heavy Metal concert shirts bearing all manner of distasteful imagery and text, and I bet a lot of them do it because THEY KNOW IT BOTHERS PEOPLE(which I think is great, and shows other countries/cultures what is great, or used to be, about America...) with cunt like sensibilities like yours(and Grandmas).
And to conclude, since the first thing you think about in this situation is violence, violence towards a passenger over a shirt, that is obviously a joke, maybe it's you that needs to be kept off the plane.
You make some very cogent points, and obviously have spent a lot of time thinking and writing about this topic. But from my point of view, you have the same problem those you debate with have, that It's either Black or White.
Your key argument, that "The trouble is the mistaken and misguided belief that if there has ever been an example of abuse, or a mistake, then ALL activity MUST be abuse." is also highly suspect and completely without merit, in light of historical fact.
A government or corporation with the ability to "screen" for data the way they can now, due to technology, will always be tempted, in a myriad of ways and for a myriad of rationales, to abuse that ability. To dismiss that outright is ridiculous, and goes up against all history and human behavior.
With that being said, I agree with you that more likely, the NSA and other agencies are primarily focused on what I would term "actual" threats to the U.S., i.e., China, Fundamentalist Islamic Terrorism, etc; However, with the datamining "firepower" they have at their disposal, it would be illogical at best to think they aren't creating "profiles" on American Citizens and groups. Who would they target? Well, common sense would indicate both left and right wing groups who the government, politicians and corporations deem a threat, however small. Their are lots of those...
Yes, there are "actual threats in the world". But to assume that our government(regardless of agency) isn't creating "profiles" on Americans is nonsense. Also, just like those you argue against, using phrases like "every American" doesn't help and is hyperbole.
Right, but you can bet your bottom dollar that if it wasn't Paul and other right wing types who were profiled in the "Modern Militia Movement", and had been groups such as Occupy Wall Street, the State of Missouri would have cared less, and probably actually increased funding for the MIAC.
A big problem with this article, and this conversation overall, is that what is understood as "Pop" music and what is understood as "Blues/Blues Rock/Rock/Hard Rock/Heavy Metal/etc" are two completely and different styles and audiences. IMHO, the latter categories haven't made a dent into the world of "Pop" since at least the early 90's. The current definition of "Pop" is more closely aligned with the stomach turning phlegm(almost all of which has a definite and easy to notice "club sound" influence) we currently hear on those types of radio stations, internet radio, satellite radio, etc; Essentially, the music listened to by the majority of people ages 9-32(approximation, and my apologies to anyone in that age group who listens to actual music made with actual instruments played by actual people).
I know this music because I've had to endure it several times around friends and relatives. In most instances THERE ARE NO ACTUAL INSTRUMENTS BEING PLAYED. Sure, go ahead and play the "get off my lawn card" of you like, but we all know it's true. "Pop" music of today has almost nothing in common with "Pop" music of the 1970's, which in my opinion was the last good decade for "Pop" music, where there was actually some "tunefulness" involved.
After recently attending an outdoor festival that was steeped in DJ "music" that went on until 6am, I told another festival goer "I WOULD RATHER LISTEN TO AN ENDLESS PARADE OF SWEDISH DEATH METAL BANDS THAN BE EXPOSED TO THAT AGAIN."
And in regard to your comment about bass "heaviness", let me pontificate on that point. I'm a bass player of many years and I can assure you, Amplified Electric Bass, as an instrument you can discern in songs, regardless of genre, has "left the building". I can rarely pick out bass lines in songs anymore in almost any genre, with the exception of Reggae(!), Blue Grass and Blues. When you say bass, what you really mean is that the guys mixing live, as well as studio engineers, etc, have "Pumped Up The Bass", without the Amplified Electric Bass being anywhere in sight. For years I thought I was alone in this opinion until one day I was at a Steve Morse guitar clinic(Dave LaRue on Bass) and Mr. Morse took a few minutes in between songs and spoke with the crowd. He essentially reiterated what I pointed out above, saying that the way music is mixed now(last 15 years) is more bass heavy(all drum/electronic, no bass), however the frequencies are extremely low and are felt, and almost not heard, i.e., not musical.
Cable/Satellite are a vast wasteland of channel surfing. We all know this. I ditched Satellite after years because with NF I only watch what I want, and plan to. No surfing, which encourages time wasting.
Another key thing is that I just really fucking hate the cable and satellite companies and I don't think they deserve another dime from me.
Their service sucks, their policies suck and they're way overpriced.
because they've been simplified to the point where anyone that's picked up a computer RPG or an MMO can at least play it and understand it without dying too hard.
"Hi, I'm Mike Mearls. I work for a company that created an incredibly lame and atrocious game called "Magic: The Gathering". A game, brilliantly designed so that you're chances of winning increase by purchasing more product from our company. But I digress...
Back in the 90's my company went out and "saved" TSR, the venerable and rickety enterprise which brought the world Dungeons and Dragons, the popular role playing game. TSR had floundered under idiotic management for years, and WoTC swooped in to take the name, revive the brand and make the game better for all.
What happened however was that the game that WoTC created had very, very little in common with the original TSR version, and along with subsequent iterations, it was all designed to generate perpetual revenue by using the same methods employed in that other, atrocious, WoTC POS card game, "Magic".
WoTC version of D&D was a godsend to the type of player who can't lose, which fit in perfectly in an America where everyone is a winner and all go home with a trophy...
WoTC new iteration of D&D attempts to patch over issues with our last release, however it is all really just another money grab, a way to get more pasty high school nerds to spend what little money they have on overpriced books, supplements, etc; This is the strategy WoTC has maintained and will continue with. So don't be fooled by imitations, only WoTC offers a true consumer experience at the expense of playability and enjoyment.
My dad grew up in "The City". He's old school, and has always called it that. It isn't some "new" hipster lingo. All the old(and new)timers in the BA call it that.
Right, I remember those days fondly. I had several friends and co-workers who started up their own ISP's, sometimes with just some networking gear and a few servers in a room in their basement. It was great because they were all under-bidding each other. Prices kept going down. Then as you say, That Cunt Powell and his corporate overlords undid the "Free Market" they love to tout as a reason for undoing the real competition.
It is really is amazing how out of control the American political system has become and how out in the open it is regarding who owns and controls what. There really is no such thing as choice or customer service regarding broadband. You get two choices and they both suck.
Come on Free Market Dick Breathers, where's your market?!?! I thought De-regulating this industry was going to bring all the promises that never showed up.
I tried 3.5 and was disappointed and have stayed with 1.5-2.5 variants since. WoTC really just want people to buy new products every development cycle... Not modules or things that would add to an existing rule set, but whole new libraries of books, etc;
However, my read problem with the WoTC versions of the game are that they are too OTT and video-game-esque, with "be everything/do everything" characters, with more skills, powers and abilities than your typical Marvel Superhero. It ruined it. 1.5-2.5 for all it's issues with combat, etc at least kept things "in perspective".
I can't relate to half-White-Dragon/half-Drow Wizard/Rogue/Psionicists who are masters with the bow(and throwing axe), can regenerate every other round, cook souffles, breath underwater(and in a vacuum), summon giant bats(and spiders) all at first level before they've had breakfast.
I disagree with no strength bonuses on missile attacks. How fast can pitchers in MLB throw? I guess it depends on the weapon. Obviously crossbows wouldn't be affected by strength.
In our 2nd ed campaign we've recently implemented a new tactic underground.
We call it "Wall of Fireball". This is where the Druid casts Stone Shape in a corridor creating a wall approx. 6" thick with a hole just large enough to cast Fireball through. Yes, there were a few miscalculations the first few times we tried this, and characters paid the price(Blowback through the casting hole, Oxygen consumed in smaller areas, etc). The DM didn't like it at first, but after significant research into what both spells can do, he allowed it.
Does it "break the games balance". Not really, and players will always look for ways to use spells, items, skills, etc; to master a situation. Several times during the casting of the Stone Shape our adversaries would hear the spell being cast and attack. Sometimes we're able to Silence the area in front of where the Stone Shape will be cast to counter that, which doesn't always work, so this tactic isn't foolproof, just fun to use sometimes.
This is just a continuation of what we've seen regarding Google/FB. More and more concentration of data in fewer and fewer hands. It seems with each passing day FB becomes more of a "portal" for everything, and the sad/scary thing here is that the American populace is more than happy to acquiesce, without really thinking about the consequences.
Whats next: apply for Drivers Licenses, Passports, Loan Applications, etc via FB?
I don't have a FB account for several reasons, however two come to mind:
1. When someone told me "you have to be on Facebook".
2. When I started seeing the FB logo everywhere, including on the brand of yogurt I buy.
Right, because the private sector never embezzles, bribes, threatens, commits fraud, employs thugs to use violence, destroys the environment or commits crimes of any sort, destroys meeting minutes, email or data of any kind, or performs any kind of lewd or lascivious act, in or out of a bathroom. I'm with ya boss!
Slashdot Mirror
I'm in the same boat. I've been going to shows and playing in bands for a long time. My hearing has been shot for years.
However, I still play in bands(can't help myself...) and used the standard foam ear plugs for years, which cut so much of certain frequencies.
My guitar player turned me onto the custom fit ear plugs with insertable db reducing "mini-plugs". These things are great. They custom fit your ear canal(via a visit to the ear doctor), so they fit perfect, and you have two different db cutting plugs to put into them. These things are great to play AND sing with, unlike the foam style plugs.
You can also get these as in-ear monitors. Westone.
I usually don't "plug" companies unless I've had a good experience with them.
Meat, especially Beef is the real problem.
It's only a matter of time until the resources required to create meat get stressed to the point of pricing it out of most peoples diet. The fact that the developing world, especially China, is increasing the amount of meat in its diet will only increase the problem and quicken the change.
The American Fast Food Industrial Complex that has led the way in shaping the American diet and it's addiction to Beef will have to re-shape the American diet towards vegetarianism.
Their happy accordance with the state of affairs is a side effect of being next to the province of Cimbalta.
Feudalism here we come.
Brilliant! I couldn't have said it better.
And ultimately guided by the cunning Lerxst.
My maternal grandfather was 67 when my mother was born... No joke. He had a reputation as a very "sturdy" individual.
His children have all been very healthy and are all doing fine. The only negative attribute passed on, which endures through the lineage is a propensity for the drink.
First off, go fuck yourself and your "45+" ageism.
Second, if TSA cleared him, meaning he is no threat, then the pilot or whatever other deuchebag that got their panties in a twist over his shirt should not have had a problem. Grandma in a state of unease? Fuck you. I fly regularly and see people wearing OTT Heavy Metal concert shirts bearing all manner of distasteful imagery and text, and I bet a lot of them do it because THEY KNOW IT BOTHERS PEOPLE(which I think is great, and shows other countries/cultures what is great, or used to be, about America...) with cunt like sensibilities like yours(and Grandmas).
And to conclude, since the first thing you think about in this situation is violence, violence towards a passenger over a shirt, that is obviously a joke, maybe it's you that needs to be kept off the plane.
You make some very cogent points, and obviously have spent a lot of time thinking and writing about this topic. But from my point of view, you have the same problem those you debate with have, that
It's either Black or White.
Your key argument, that "The trouble is the mistaken and misguided belief that if there has ever been an example of abuse, or a mistake, then ALL activity MUST be abuse." is also highly suspect and completely without merit, in light of historical fact.
A government or corporation with the ability to "screen" for data the way they can now, due to technology, will always be tempted, in a myriad of ways and for a myriad of rationales, to abuse that ability. To dismiss that outright is ridiculous, and goes up against all history and human behavior.
With that being said, I agree with you that more likely, the NSA and other agencies are primarily focused on what I would term "actual" threats to the U.S., i.e., China, Fundamentalist Islamic Terrorism, etc; However, with the datamining "firepower" they have at their disposal, it would be illogical at best to think they aren't creating "profiles" on American Citizens and groups. Who would they target? Well, common sense would indicate both left and right wing groups who the government, politicians and corporations deem a threat, however small. Their are lots of those...
Yes, there are "actual threats in the world". But to assume that our government(regardless of agency) isn't creating "profiles" on Americans is nonsense. Also, just like those you argue against, using phrases like "every American" doesn't help and is hyperbole.
Right, but you can bet your bottom dollar that if it wasn't Paul and other right wing types who were profiled in the "Modern Militia Movement", and had been groups such as Occupy Wall Street, the State of Missouri would have cared less, and probably actually increased funding for the MIAC.
A big problem with this article, and this conversation overall, is that what is understood as "Pop" music and what is understood as "Blues/Blues Rock/Rock/Hard Rock/Heavy Metal/etc" are two completely and different styles and audiences. IMHO, the latter categories haven't made a dent into the world of "Pop" since at least the early 90's. The current definition of "Pop" is more closely aligned with the stomach turning phlegm(almost all of which has a definite and easy to notice "club sound" influence) we currently hear on those types of radio stations, internet radio, satellite radio, etc; Essentially, the music listened to by the majority of people ages 9-32(approximation, and my apologies to anyone in that age group who listens to actual music made with actual instruments played by actual people).
I know this music because I've had to endure it several times around friends and relatives. In most instances THERE ARE NO ACTUAL INSTRUMENTS BEING PLAYED. Sure, go ahead and play the "get off my lawn card" of you like, but we all know it's true. "Pop" music of today has almost nothing in common with "Pop" music of the 1970's, which in my opinion was the last good decade for "Pop" music, where there was actually some "tunefulness" involved.
After recently attending an outdoor festival that was steeped in DJ "music" that went on until 6am, I told another festival goer "I WOULD RATHER LISTEN TO AN ENDLESS PARADE OF SWEDISH DEATH METAL BANDS THAN BE EXPOSED TO THAT AGAIN."
And in regard to your comment about bass "heaviness", let me pontificate on that point. I'm a bass player of many years and I can assure you, Amplified Electric Bass, as an instrument you can discern in songs, regardless of genre, has "left the building". I can rarely pick out bass lines in songs anymore in almost any genre, with the exception of Reggae(!), Blue Grass and Blues. When you say bass, what you really mean is that the guys mixing live, as well as studio engineers, etc, have "Pumped Up The Bass", without the Amplified Electric Bass being anywhere in sight. For years I thought I was alone in this opinion until one day I was at a Steve Morse guitar clinic(Dave LaRue on Bass) and Mr. Morse took a few minutes in between songs and spoke with the crowd. He essentially reiterated what I pointed out above, saying that the way music is mixed now(last 15 years) is more bass heavy(all drum/electronic, no bass), however the frequencies are extremely low and are felt, and almost not heard, i.e., not musical.
Nothing better than the fetid reek of WoTC apologists to brighten my mood!
Cable/Satellite are a vast wasteland of channel surfing. We all know this. I ditched Satellite after years because with NF I only watch what I want, and plan to. No surfing, which encourages time wasting.
Another key thing is that I just really fucking hate the cable and satellite companies and I don't think they deserve another dime from me.
Their service sucks, their policies suck and they're way overpriced.
because they've been simplified to the point where anyone that's picked up a computer RPG or an MMO can at least play it and understand it without dying too hard.
Exactly...
"Hi, I'm Mike Mearls. I work for a company that created an incredibly lame and atrocious game called "Magic: The Gathering". A game, brilliantly designed so that you're chances of winning increase by purchasing more product from our company. But I digress...
Back in the 90's my company went out and "saved" TSR, the venerable and rickety enterprise which brought the world Dungeons and Dragons, the popular role playing game. TSR had floundered under idiotic management for years, and WoTC swooped in to take the name, revive the brand and make the game better for all.
What happened however was that the game that WoTC created had very, very little in common with the original TSR version, and along with subsequent iterations, it was all designed to generate perpetual revenue by using the same methods employed in that other, atrocious, WoTC POS card game, "Magic".
WoTC version of D&D was a godsend to the type of player who can't lose, which fit in perfectly in an America where everyone is a winner and all go home with a trophy...
WoTC new iteration of D&D attempts to patch over issues with our last release, however it is all really just another money grab, a way to get more pasty high school nerds to spend what little money they have on overpriced books, supplements, etc; This is the strategy WoTC has maintained and will continue with. So don't be fooled by imitations, only WoTC offers a true consumer experience at the expense of playability and enjoyment.
Enjoy!"
Do you regenerate Hit Points like the Trolls in Dungeons and Dragons?
My dad grew up in "The City". He's old school, and has always called it that. It isn't some "new" hipster lingo. All the old(and new)timers in the BA call it that.
Right, I remember those days fondly. I had several friends and co-workers who started up their own ISP's, sometimes with just some networking gear and a few servers in a room in their basement. It was great because they were all under-bidding each other. Prices kept going down. Then as you say, That Cunt Powell and his corporate overlords undid the "Free Market" they love to tout as a reason for undoing the real competition.
It is really is amazing how out of control the American political system has become and how out in the open it is regarding who owns and controls what. There really is no such thing as choice or customer service regarding broadband. You get two choices and they both suck.
Come on Free Market Dick Breathers, where's your market?!?! I thought De-regulating this industry was going to bring all the promises that never showed up.
I tried 3.5 and was disappointed and have stayed with 1.5-2.5 variants since. WoTC really just want people to buy new products every development cycle... Not modules or things that would add to an existing rule set, but whole new libraries of books, etc;
However, my read problem with the WoTC versions of the game are that they are too OTT and video-game-esque, with "be everything/do everything" characters, with more skills, powers and abilities than your typical Marvel Superhero. It ruined it. 1.5-2.5 for all it's issues with combat, etc at least kept things "in perspective".
I can't relate to half-White-Dragon/half-Drow Wizard/Rogue/Psionicists who are masters with the bow(and throwing axe), can regenerate every other round, cook souffles, breath underwater(and in a vacuum), summon giant bats(and spiders) all at first level before they've had breakfast.
I disagree with no strength bonuses on missile attacks. How fast can pitchers in MLB throw? I guess it depends on the weapon. Obviously crossbows wouldn't be affected by strength.
In our 2nd ed campaign we've recently implemented a new tactic underground.
We call it "Wall of Fireball". This is where the Druid casts Stone Shape in a corridor creating a wall approx. 6" thick with a hole just large enough to cast Fireball through. Yes, there were a few miscalculations the first few times we tried this, and characters paid the price(Blowback through the casting hole, Oxygen consumed in smaller areas, etc). The DM didn't like it at first, but after significant research into what both spells can do, he allowed it.
Does it "break the games balance". Not really, and players will always look for ways to use spells, items, skills, etc; to master a situation. Several times during the casting of the Stone Shape our adversaries would hear the spell being cast and attack. Sometimes we're able to Silence the area in front of where the Stone Shape will be cast to counter that, which doesn't always work, so this tactic isn't foolproof, just fun to use sometimes.
if (DnD > 2.5) {DnD=='sucks'}
There, fixed that for you.
This is just a continuation of what we've seen regarding Google/FB. More and more concentration of data in fewer and fewer hands. It seems with each passing day FB becomes more of a "portal" for everything, and the sad/scary thing here is that the American populace is more than happy to acquiesce, without really thinking about the consequences.
Whats next: apply for Drivers Licenses, Passports, Loan Applications, etc via FB?
I don't have a FB account for several reasons, however two come to mind:
1. When someone told me "you have to be on Facebook".
2. When I started seeing the FB logo everywhere, including on the brand of yogurt I buy.
Right, because the private sector never embezzles, bribes, threatens, commits fraud, employs thugs to use violence, destroys the environment or commits crimes of any sort, destroys meeting minutes, email or data of any kind, or performs any kind of lewd or lascivious act, in or out of a bathroom. I'm with ya boss!
Imagine an alternate universe where jokes like that are told on late night tv.
Khader, is that you?