Random Notes

• Needless to say, as I sit here in suburban Houston with the sun shining and the gentle breezes blowing, Gustav was a no-show in Kingwood. I suppose it’s necessary to show extreme caution, but the alarm bells in the media and government are going to be hard-pressed to avoid comparisons to a certain boy who cried wolf. Our prayers, though, are with those in the severely-hit areas, who are truly suffering.

• The Wall Street Journal features this assessment of the economy during 2001-2007. It’s not what the news media would have you believe.

• In the “strictly for fun” category, I browse through offbeat music blogs looking for interesting rarities, and found the master tracks for Marvin Gaye’s “Heard it thru the grapevine”. Individual tracks for bass, drums, guitars, lead vocal, keys, orchestra, percussion, and BG vocals. Load these individual tracks into audacity, and you’ve got your own mixing board to re-mix a true classic. My favorite, remixed yesterday: Lead vocal on one side, Harmony vocals on the other, and bass guitar in the center, That’s all. The same music blog had already provided me with the master tracks for 4 Sgt. Pepper songs as well.