Blogs

Money… It’s a Gas.

I often use this space to tell you what I’ve been rocking on my iPod. Thing is, it’s not always music. Lately, economics is on everyone’s mind and I’ve been listening to a few podcasts that have been a great help to my understanding of the current crisis. These are today’s topic. Perhaps a little bit dry but definitely worth your attention.

The first big one is the podcast of “This American Life“. Ira Glass and company put on a great show every week on all sorts of topics and I am always enthralled for the hour(ish) that I listen. A while back they ran one of their most popular shows to date, entitled “The Giant Pool Of Money“. This show detailed the ins and outs and wtf?s of the Mortgage Backed Security / Subprime Lending debacle. What’s more, they do so in a way that a college dropout, like myself, can grasp. They don’t just toss off buzzwords and technical terms without pausing to explain them in practical, layman’s terms.

That show was so successful, the two guys who did the show (Alex Blumberg and Adam Davidson) have started a blog and a daily podcast of their own called “Planet Money“. They continue to address the economy in plain terms and, given the few eeeks that we’ve been having, they are very busy and doing a great job.

But that’s not all! A couple weeks ago, “This American Life” called Alex and Adam back to do a followup show. This one was appropriately entitled “Another Frightening Show About The Economy“. Here, they go beyond the subprime issue and explain how this has turned into a global economic crisis. Have you ever heard about Credit Default Swaps? You might have recently. Do you know what they are? After hearing this program, you’ll know; and you’ll be shocked. Check it out. 

Oh, and if you haven’t signed up for the “This American Life” podcast yet… Here’s another reason. This weeks episode is back to standard form; several stories on a single subject. Two of the four stories address aspects of the current financial climate. Listen to it here.

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I’m not sure if I should file this under ‘Conspiratorial Artistic Genius’ or ‘Hobbyists In Need Of Hobby’ but, some intrepid Radiohead fans have begun peeling back the perceived layers surrounding the release of In Rainbows and its (supposed) relationship with 1997’s Ok Computer. From Puddlegum:

Radiohead: 01 and 10

Ten years after OK Computer shocked the world, Radiohead released In Rainbows on October 10 (10/10). Though no one was expecting the album to be released until 2008, Radiohead announced In Rainbows just ten days in advance. In Rainbows, which consists of ten letters, has ten tracks, and would be downloadable from a rumored ten servers.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg…

These guys at Puddlegum have been down this road before but, this time, they’ve expanded the theory to suggest that Ok Computer (01) and In Rainbows (10) are not merely distantly connected or companion pieces. They have, in fact, proposed that the two should actually be merged! Continue reading →

Another Pointless Blog Post

I have no idea what I’m writing to you today. I don’t even know who you are.

What I do know is that I have a voice in my head which tells me to write something, anything because

  1. Having the Redskins at the top of the page after they sucked so badly in the 2nd half yesterday is embarrassing.
  2. Never updating your blog is lame.

So, let me tell you a thing or two in the “What I’m Up To” department.

FW-1804

I have upgraded my home recording setup with a new preamp/computer interface. The Tascam FW-1804 is a pretty cool piece of hardware that, if I can ever find that thing called ‘free time’ I’ll be putting to good use. For those that wonder, I use Reaper to record. It’s inexpensive, flexible and more software than I need.

The Decemberists

Also, I’ve lately been digging into the back catalog of The Decemberists. I got into their 2006 album, “The Crane Wife” with a fervor last year. I still say it’s the best album of 2006 (better even than Dylan’s “Modern Times” (sorry, James.)) One of the records that has stood out so far is “Castaways & Cutouts.” Great storytelling and melodies. Check it out.