I have just finished learning a piece of music by one of my favourite composers, John Cage. The piece is called “4’33 silence”. I did find it a bit difficult to learn, so I have taken the liberty of editing it to just 33 seconds.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=c6augXjk-rk
This is the poster for a show that was on when we were in Las Vegas last year. Zumanity is one of the Cirque de Soleil productions. According to the official website, it is
“a seductive twist on reality…leave all inhibitions at the door and let loose as this adult-themed production takes you on a sexy thrill ride…part burlesque and part cabaret”
Sound familiar?
It was on at the New York New York hotel. I never got to see it, but it looks really interesting!
So, do you live in Reality, or Zumanity?
Update: 3 Sep 2011
I have noticed this picture referenced on a “White News” website. I would like to make it very clear, that my post was not meant to be a reference to “racial submission of whites to non-whites”, or any such thing. I neither support nor endorse such websites. I find both pro-white and pro-black websites very disturbing.
I find it sad that for so many people race is still such a large factor in their thinking. I believe that people should
not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character – Martin Luther King
Currently, every 10 year old kid with a computer and iPod is downloading and sharing unlicensed (i.e., illegal) music.
Because it is so easy to download and share music, the music industry is understandably concerned about lost revenue, and everybody with a single illegally obtained MP3 (i.e.,: most of us) is technically a criminal. This is clearly a loose-loose situation.
So, how can we turn it into a win-win situation. The only way that I can see involves two key points:
Here are two suggestions.
Free Music
How about getting the music industry to partner with some of the large social networking sites such as FaceBook or MySpace? Make the MP3’s available at no cost on these sites, but share the advertising revenue that is generated between the music and the websites.
The free MP3’s will drive huge traffic to the sites, and they will allow for highly-profiled advertising to be served to the users (aside from existing profile info they already have).
So, the users are happy- they are getting free music, the music industry is happy – they are getting (advertising) revenue due to the online music, and on top of it the websites are getting revenue due to the additional traffic.
Really Cheap Music
The second suggestion is to pay a monthly subscription for your music. So for example, you pay $29.99 per month, which gives you access to whatever music you wish to listen to. So, you are not actually paying for the music, you are paying for the right to listen to it.
This is similar to a mobile phone contract, in which you are paying for the right to make a telephone call, regardless of if you make any calls or not. You could possibly extend this analogy and say that you pay 10c for each song you listen to – equivalent to paying for each phone call that you actually make.
Whatever option happens, I am convinced that the “goto a retail store and buy a CD” model is on the way out.
Notes
The Global Advertising spend was worth $358 billion in 2004.
The global music industry spend was $12,4 billion in 2005.
I have been stuck in bed for over two weeks now, and while Lois and everybody is being really wonderful, I am board!
So, here are 34 things to keep you busy when stuck in bed!
What have I missed, I am sure I will be adding to this list shortly…?
Watch out for the next installment of this exciting drama – alternative treatments recommended to me (by non-experts) for a slipped disc!
I was cleaning up my study, and I found the old ticket stubs from our trip up the Eiffel Tower in Vegas. Ok, so this wasn’t the real tower in France, it was only a 1/2 scale model, but it was still 540 feet (164m) tall, and it was pretty impressive.
Walking through the Paris hotel is really like walking through the streets of Paris – complete with sidewalk cafe’s, accordion music & cobbled streets. I really felt like I was back in Paris.
However, what really amused me was the warning on the ticket – “no unauthorized weddings”. Where else would you find that warning? I suppose that if you are going to do a Vegas wedding, the top of the Eiffel Tower is as good a place as any – good thing Lois and I are already married!
I still think that Vegas is a great place to get married – you can have a drive trough wedding, the reception at the MacDonalds drive through, and even see a show afterwards!
Don’t forget – no unauthorized weddings!
Sadly, our time in Vegas came to an end, and our time came to leave for Phoenix. This was after a great last evening when I finally figured out the Rolette machines, and won a total of about $40 on the $5 tables – not bad for a beginner.
So it was a 4:30am start to get to the airport by 6 in time for our 8am flight – which incedently was only 45 minutes long.
We are at our hotel in Phoenix – the JW Marriott Desert Resort and Spa, prepering for the Toastmasters Annual Convention. Arizona is exactly like in the old cowboy movies – with barren landscape and the cactus plants holding their hands in the air like on cheap tequila bottles. I beleive that the bigger cactui can hold 5 tons of water – enough for 5 years of drought. The land also reminded me of the Pielandsberg mountains – except with the cactui.
Today I bought a couple of items in the supermarket, and I did something that I have never done before – I used the self-checkout. With nobody supervising, I scanned the items, paid into a machine, collected the change and left! Just like that. Imagine that in SA.
I thought that Vegas was hot, but I had no idea! The temperature yesterday was a min of 28, and a max of about 42 deg C – so hot that the shops give you free water when you leave. Unbeleivably hot, so we will be spending much time indoors.
Off to bed now, will update you soon.
Craig
PS – Karen I hope you luggage arrives soon!
Today we went up the Eiffel Tower in the Paris Hotel. The tower is a 1/4 side scale model, but almost as impressive as the real thing. You get a great view of the strip from the top – it is about 20 stories or so high.
The Paris Hotel is really impressive – filled with little sidewalk cafe’s and Parisian architecture and landmarks and architecture.
We had a drama in the lift when a woman collapsed, but the hotel handled it quickly and I did not have to practise my first aid skills, but it was still a scary experience. My first thought was ‘what about liability?’. If I get involved – not how can I help her? It was quite a panicky situation, but it all ended well.
We went to the M&M shop, which is three floors of M&M (smarties) merchandise, everything from shirts & caps to cushions, games (they had a M&M monopoly set), and an entire floor of just M&M’s. This is where we bought most of our gifts.The shop is a scary combination – kids and candy!
We had a Mexican supper at the Treasure Island Hotel – great restaurant – first restaurant to serve reasonable sized meals. Most places serve HUGE portions, but here they were perfect. They served a free plate of home made plain nachos with three dipping sauces for free (note: many restaurants in Nevada and Arizona seem to do this). They were home made and very yummy. We asked for an extra hot chilli sauce, and we found one that was scary – but we made a good dent in it none the less!
BTW: at most fast food joints you can buy 4oz cokes, which is over 1 litre, and people do.
Finally, just got back from New York New York hotel, listening to live rock (ok no surprises there) – heard a great band. It was them or the country band, so on arguments there. We have now heard two country bands which both do both kinds of music – country and western! The hotel is an authentic representation of the New York skyline – complete with Status of Liberty and Empire State Building. All in all we got to hear about 7 bands on our trip.
All of the hotels are next to each other – but the distances are deceptively far, so I have sore legs, and Lois has sore feet!
Bye for now!
I am starting to realise that you “do” Vegas by pretty much walking around the hotels. So, we walked to the Luxor, which meant going past the Excalibur Hotel.
The Excalibur is build like a fairy-tale version of Camelot, complete with Turrets and knights. It is pretty cool – if not a bit cheesy. However the lighting at night is really impressive – it looks fantastic!
The Luxor has a full size model of Tutankhamen’s burial chamber, complete with artifacts and audio-guide. It is an interesting glimpse into Ancient Egypt, and has re-affirmed my wishes to travel to Egypt at some stage.
The irony of course being that his tomb is in the Valley of the Kings, and not in Luxor!
The Hotel is also home to the world’s largest atrium, and an IMAX theatre.
You do find yourself using the term "world’s largest" quite a lot in Vegas!
I decided to try the slots today. You can play 1c machines, and really play for fun. We sat down at a random machine, and yes of all the thousands of slot machines in Vegas, I picked the African-themed slot. Zebras, lions, springboks etc.
I managed to get up to almost $3, so was doing well, but then after 1/2 hour I lost it all – my $1 (ohhh noises now) as all gone.
It was kinda cool, but becomes a bit aimless after a while.
I must point out that I won on the lions, I won on the zebras, I was king of Africa at one stage, but I never won on the springboks!
Off to see the Blue Man Group tonight.
What can I say? Yesterday we saw lions in our hotel (in their den), saw a live rock band, a fake volcano erupt 100 feet into the air, gambled, and even got some sleep. We missed the pirate battle, but maybe tonight!
Vegas is the land of excess – complete sensory overload. Light and sounds everywhere – even slots at the airport. We are staying at the MGM Grand hotel – with over 5000 rooms, and a casino area of 151000 sq ft, and a 17000 seat arena.
David Copperfield is playing at the hotel and near by are the Beach Boys, ZZ Top, Tom Jones, Toni Braxton, Jay Leno and get this – Barry Manilow!
So we are off to see the New York Skyline, then going to Luxor to see a full size replica of King Tut’s tomb. Oh, we are going to go past Camelot
You can come here and visit the world!
ps Fear and loathing in Las Vegas now has a new meaning to me!
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