sounds from earth: alpha centauri remix

Yesterday, I posted something about the sound recordings that were launched into space in 1977 as a part of the Voyager mission. Among other things, I was asking if anyone knew how I could get a hold of digital copies of those sound files. Well, a reader from Atlanta by the name of Ken found most of them archived on-line, and they’re perfect for what I had in mind.

As for what I had in mind, it’s a little musical remixing project… You see, I was thinking that it would be interesting to try to create a piece of music using only those sounds, as if they were all that remained of this planet of ours. I’m envisioning it (the finished product) as something that could have been made by a group of hotrod-loving space delinquents after intercepting the Voyager and tearing it apart for scrap. (I’m picturing them all passing around a bottle and talking about where they can use the Voyager’s heat deflectors when one of them pulls out the 12-inch gold-plated copper record and says the Alpha Centauri equivalent of, “What the fuck?”)

If you don’t think I can pull it off, just listen to this track entitled “First Tools” and tell me that it wouldn’t make one hell of a percussion track? Add a few whale calls, and the occasional guttural growl of a space delinquent and you’ve got something really cool. Now I’ve just got to teach myself Garage Band and get to work.

If you’d like to join this band, just send me a money order for $100 US and I’ll make sure you get listed on the liner notes.

Posted in Art and Culture | 16 Comments

my suggestion for linette’s tattoo

After giving it a great deal of thought, I’m going to suggest to Linette that she use her tattoo coupon to have the image from Carl Sagan’s Pioneer 10 plaque transferred to the back of her neck.

While we’re on the subject of things that have been jettisoned into space, does anyone know where I could obtain digital recordings of the “Sounds of Earth” clips that were included on the Voyager spacecraft? I’d also be interested to know, in case there are any space buffs in the audience, how the sounds included on that record were decided upon. Some, like “baby” and “surf,” seem fairly obvious, but I’m curious how the sound of “herding sheep” got included. (Was the Sheep Herders Union incredibly strong in 1977?) And how did “laughter” make it on, but not “crying”? And what kind of sounds do “mud pots” emit?

Posted in Art and Culture | 10 Comments

the dreaded f-word

I suspect people have been reluctant to drop the f-bomb these past few years for fear of sounding paranoid and losing all credibility. It seems, however, that this self-imposed embargo is slowly lifting. The first time I saw the word “fascism” mentioned in any serious context was a few moths ago in the American Conservative magazine. Since then, others, like Robert Kennedy, Jr., have started joining the slowly growing chorus of voices. (While not coming right out and saying, “Bush is a fascist,” Kennedy and others have hinted at as much.) The most direct accusation I’ve seen to date came yesterday from Chris Bowers at MyDD.com, who laid out the case, supported by recent events… So, here’s my question to you. Given what we know about fascism, does this qualify? And, if so, is it time to start dropping the f-bomb?

Posted in Politics | 3 Comments

mark’s toilet blog

Instead of having a guestbook in our house, I was just thinking about getting an inexpensive laptop and building a little shelf for it in our bathroom so that everyone who sits down on our toilet could blog. I’d make it mandatory somehow… Maybe I’d have the toilet paper locked in some kind of box that only opened once the “post” button was hit… And, if it weren’t too weird, I was thinking that it would also be cool to have a photo of the person to go along with the post. Maybe it would be a shot of their feet as they sat on the toilet, or maybe I could have a camera setup over the sink that took a picture as they washed their hands… Hopefully they all wash their hands… More on this important idea later. Stay tuned.

Note: Guess what? I just wrote this entire post while using the restroom!

Posted in Mark's Life | 36 Comments

on taking back a hijacked a language

I think I’ve mentioned it here before, but the next book we’ll be reading in the Progressive Book Club is George Lakoff’s, “Don’t Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate–The Essential Guide for Progressives.” Lakoff, for those of you who don’t already know the name, is a UC Berkley professor of Linguistics, and fellow at the Rockridge Institute. His recent work deals generally with the use of language in American political discourse, and specifically on how the Republicans have been successful over the past few decades of using language to win the hearts and minds of American voters.

From “Pro Life” to the “No Child Left Behind” the Republicans have dedicated a great deal of time and effort to the framing of the debates they’ve initiated. (They generally win before the debate even begins, just by setting the stage and announcing the name of their initiative.) They are masters of the focus group, and when they launch something, like W’s new “Ownership Society” initiative, you can be damned sure they know it’ll resonate with people. If you haven’t seen the episode of PBS’s Frontline that profiles Frank Luntz, one of the leading Republican message men, you should check it out. Love him or hate him, it’s absolutely amazing to watch him in action. (That last link will take you to an interview with Luntz. If you want to see video of him in action, click here and go to video number five.)

So, here’s the good news… Not only do we now have Lakoff telling us what’s being done, but, as of a few days ago, we also have Luntz’s new 160-page playbook. Yes, it’s apparently fallen into the hands of the Democrats, who are now busily going over his war plans. (You can download the document for yourself and join in on the conversation if you follow that last link to the Daily Kos site.) And, if you want to check out the analysis that’s already been done, check out the Think Progress site. They’ve had the document for a few days now and they’ve made a lot of progress.

So, since the Lakoff book is short, and since it has everything to do with Luntz, I’m going to suggest that we add the newly discovered playbook to this month’s reading assignment. Does that sound doable to those of you in the club?

Posted in Politics | 5 Comments

Connect

BUY LOCAL... or shop at Amazon through this link Banner Initiative Dave Miller 2