I could be even snobbier than I am now

For about 2 weeks, I considered starting a vinyl collection.

I decided against it because I have reason to believe that 1-bit digital recording technology has the potential to finally live up to the "digital promise" we've been hearing for the last twenty years. (That promise being that digital can offer the undeniable warmth of analog while not being limited by the unavoidable mechanical degradation of analog.)

I'm really uncomfortable with the idea of the sonic fidelity of my music getting slightly cruddier with each playback, although I suppose there's a morbidly romantic aspect about that process that some would find pleasant. Hmm.

As far as recording goes, I'm seriously trying to figure out a way to record to 2-inch tape. Either that, or track to 1-bit and mix-down into something else just so I could archive the 1-bit stuff. I bet printing out to 2-inch for the mix with a final output to LP would sound like butter. (I think the 16-bit recordings we worked with for Fall Back sound like complete butthole, which wasn't helped by our crappy mics/pre's and lackluster performances.)

Digital sound is not all it's cracked up to be, despite the fact that it's convenient as heck with its non-destructibility and budget friendliness. Unfortunately, good music is really about good sound - as opposed to good pricing - and I think that people react on an emotional level to good sound. This reaction may not even take place in the conscious mind, but it could be the difference between liking something and just tolerating it. I know 99.9% of the people who would ever hear the music I make would hear the 16-bit version of it instead of a higher-res digital version (like 24-bit SACD) or LP, but...it'd be nice to know it's out there for the folks who appreciate that sort of thing - folks like me.

*sigh* And for the record, sometimes I hate myself.

The next post will be huge.

Straight from the Onion's A/V Club...

...I present to you a really clever choral performance. Surprises and key changes abound!

Generous hands, or leaky pockets?

Chatted with J-Merm on a number of subjects today, one of them being Ron Paul and the fact that his media presence has virtually none of the penetration of the "major" candidates. That being said, Josh mentioned seeing some coverage of Barack taking a dump on the principles of the Founders shooting hoops for about 10 minutes. So, there's that.

Tying into another discussion about Africa and wondering how many *insert random noun*-Aid tribute CDs it will take to get those folks fed (I guess Sally Struthers keeps eating it all), I wondered aloud about the reasoning behind our so-called foreign-aid obligations.

Philosophically, what's the justification for foreign aid? Humanitarianism? What, aren't there enough "underprivileged" citizens Stateside? Sound-bite viability? As a voter, I'm much more inclined to care about getting domestic problems solved than I am international. Liberal credibility? Ah; that's probably it.

I cannot figure out why it makes sense to drain billions of dollars into 3rd-world countries - just to see it get misappropriated by local thugs - when our currency is devalued every day in the global economy because of our mind-blowing national debt.

One of Ron Paul's core directives is fiscal responsibility; fixing our economic problems would pretty much...fix our problems. As a country. Done. Instead, we're inundated with insidious plans for more spending, more bureaucracy, more expansion, more debt, more obligation...

I guess the best I can hope for is to have fiscal responsibility in my home, no matter what economic direction my country takes.

Al Sharpton is a bag of dirty diapers

Tons of stuff has happened since our last post, including new babies for the both of us (I'll try to post some pics soon).

But this, friends. THIS. From a CNN article about Imus:

"Just three months after he was fired, the Rev. Al Sharpton, one of the strongest voices calling for his firing, said Imus had a right to make a living and could return to radio. Sharpton planned a news conference later Monday."

Well thank Heavens for that, Mr. Imus; Mr. Sharpton has allowed you to return to radio.

Al Sharpton, you're a pompous choad. I couldn't care less about your opinions on any subject, sir, because you make your living off stirring up and perpetuating discord.

I reject your self-declared cultural authority, Revrund. In fact, here's a little analogy for the SAT crowd: Al Sharpton is to cultural advancement like Dick Cheney is to quail-hunting buddies and/or cardiovascular health.