A popular Bible verse states "now we see in a mirror, dimly..."

We're told that many deep-seated neuroses can stem from a single event. We find that injustices wrought at an early age can effect us in a myriad of ways. What then of a repeated offense, one that we inflict upon ourselves daily?

I speak of...the mirror. The entire perception of our appearance (and often appearance and self image are inextricably tied) is generated based on mirrors. And, as the verse states, mirrors do not give a perfect reflection. We have learned to compensate for flaws in mirrors. Very few of us will look at a trick mirror at a carnival and blindly accept the presented image as fact. But, have we forgotten that a mirror is a reflection?

My nose ring is on the left side of my face. However, the person greeting me with an appearance status has a nose ring on the right of his face. Have we been damaged by living with an image that is the exact opposite of reality?

As a musician/audio guy, I am very careful where I place sounds in a mix. Left, right... it makes a difference. You are not getting what I intended you to get when you put headphones on backwards.

Perception matters. And we've been lying to ourselves our whole life...

Blast.

Janis Ian (never heard of her? neither had I) wrote a phenomenal article on how downloading hurts/doesnt hurt the recording industry. I've added a critical reading list to the nav bar and this article will stay there for a while. Do check it out and let me know your thoughts.

Very concise, well thought out essay. Nutshell: Artists make money from non-album sales like concerts and merchandise. The CD becomes a marketing tool for the concert. So, does it matter how the consumer gets the CD?

Check it out and then comment!

Somethings defy reason. Smoking a cigarette at a slot machine with an O2 tank by your side is one.

This car is another. Proudly labeled with a "MTV Pimp My Ride" bumpersticker, which shows the driver is not without humor, this car is ENTIRELY covered in fake grass. Not astroturf per se but the fake grass that some people put on the porch of their trailers.

The whole car is covered in it. This picture does not do it justice. The cut out around the car make "Sundance" is particularly attractive.

What do you think this pimp job cost?

Umm...

Here we have marketing at its finest. I have no clue what they are trying to sell here. Somehow, the message is lost on me. I can burn CD's and eat them? CD's burned with the "ultra speed recorder" will get me the girl of my dreams and she eats CD's? What? I mean.. I am really at a loss.

Thoughts?

So...watched Iron Chef America on the Food Network this weekend. I know,
you're thinking...this post is going to be exciting. Leave it to me to get
all worked up over a little thing.

But hey...its the little things in life, right?

Back to IC:A. About 15 minutes into the show, going into the commercial
break, we (the audience) get treated to a frame of the IC:A real time online
poll. Now Im all for online polls, however inaccurate they may be, they are
fun. But this one just set me off.

"Who do you think is winning?" was the title, and Chef Flay was up 71% to
whatever (100-71 you do the math). They always seem to favor the Iron Chef
of the day.

However...

THIS POLL IS A WASTE OF MY TIME!!! IT TELLS ME NOTHING!!!

I mean, come on. The final results from the panel of 3 food critic judges
are going to be based on plating, originality, and taste. Which of those
three can you tell from watching? 2 of 3, I'll give you. BUT WHICH OF THOSE
THREE CAN YOU TELL ONLY 15 MINUTES INTO THE SHOW?!?!

Are you basing the plating on the raw materials? Potential? Plating
Potential? Taste Potential? WHAT? Dang, that there Chef Flay looks like he's
gonna fix up a tasty morsel...

Blast.

Ok...let me start off by saying I am ashamed that this is the best I could come up with for a test post.