IMEEM has gone.... POOF!

So it finally happened.  After several months of speculating, IMEEM has pulled the proverbial plug and is now a part of (Ack!) MySpace.  So very sad.  Already, I have read posts of dismay here and there around the web lamenting the transformation of this wonderful community of music lovers into yet another MySpace feature.  Personally, I don't have anything against MySpace.  I even have a page there (albeit undeveloped and not at all well maintained) that originally was meant to be one of my radio station's "calling cards".  However, the 'climate' of the site wasn't one that I felt to be conducive to pure music sharing and networking among people who lived and breathed music the way so many of us do. And as such, I never took the time to grow and develop the page. And as annoyed as I am at IMEEM (and anyone who had anything whatsoever to do with its abrupt disappearance), the fact remains that IMEEM was an amazing place to experience the music and musical tastes of people from around the globe. 

I have no doubt that somewhere in this vast expanse called the web, music lovers will once again begin to converge on a site to begin to build another community.  That's what music lovers do; we experience our own sounds in our own unique ways, but we also grow and expand our personal horizons by sharing in the musical experiences of others.  Perhaps those who do seek to form or join another similar community will do so with a more intense degree of caution, knowing full well that our world is also one where, unfortunately, money and wealth drives the direction in which it turns.  And as such, having it dramatically changed without much (or any) warning is as simple as the click of a mouse button. 

Yes, I'm just a tad pissed.  And yes, I'll miss sharing in the melodious exhilaration along with the many people with whom I have developed some delightful and enlightening bonds.  But I feel so wonderfully privileged to have experienced those who have shared so many incredibly enjoyable songs with me, and I with them. 

So, IMEEM is gone.  But ultimately, life is not so much about beginnings and endings.  It is the sum total of our experiences in the middle that determine its most consequential impact on us.  I hope my IMEEM family has fond memories of the musical joy I brought to their lives.  I certainly will remember the joy they brought to mine.

-V

He also serves who stands and hands out towels...

I believe that I am fortunate because I have been blessed to have had many rewarding and enlightening experiences in my life. And in a somewhat karmic mindset of thanks, I have tried to pass on my experiences to others in hopes that they may, in some small way, be enriched by them if even for a moment. And many of the things that have had the most impact on me have had nothing to do with balloons and cakes, or rollercoaster rides, or even Whack-A-Mole. Many of them have come from the most unexpected places. Several years ago, a companion and I visited a very nice restaurant in NYC. The environment was very
pleasant; somewhat of a cross between a high-end steakhouse with wonderful indoor/outdoor dining and a 'typical' top-shelf Midtown dining house. There was a very nice piano bar that was inconspicuously tucked away near the rear of the restaurant, and the soft jazz from the keyboard wafted from the rear and seemed
to wash over us while we dined on our appetizers; bacon-wrapped scallops topped with just a dollop of crab imperial and our entrees of the most impeccably prepared steaks. The lighting in the establishment was perfect and our waiter and server were like experts in their craft. The meal was sumptuous and the experience quite memorable. And based on the quality of the food and the atmosphere and the service, the bill of $140.00 was quite reasonable. In fact, for downtown NYC it was a bargain!  

As we were finishing our coffees and preparing to leave, I excused myself to go downstairs to the men's room. I walked down the plushly carpeted stairs and across the common area to the men's room. I pushed the big oak door open and walked in and there, I found myself in one of the most uncomfortable situations I could remember. Here I am standing in this incredibly 'plush' bathroom in this expensive restaurant and there, sitting on a stool to the side of the door was a young man, no more than 24-25 years old smiling, and holding a few towels on his lap. In as un-awkward a manner as I could muster, I nodded, smiled and said, "How're you doing?" And it wasn't one of those questions you ask when you really want to know how someone's doing, or even one that you expect (or hope) to get an honest answer. It was one of those questions one asks when there's nothing else that comes to mind. The kind of question that one asks until the discomfort of a situation dissipates. The kind of question that can be translated into, "Well, I feel really awkward right now and don't know what the hell to say and it doesn't really matter because it won't make things any easier so I'm gonna' just spew this out and feign interest and kindness because I kinda' have this feeling in my gut that I'm going to burst into flames at any moment..." He smiled, nodded back and said, "Good evening, sir. I'm doing fine." Bullshit. I knew he wasn't doing "fine". He was sitting here in this cramped, ambient-lighted urinal waiting for men to finish peeing so that he could hand them a towel to wash their hands. So there we were. I moved forward to the urinal which unmercifully was only about 4 meters from the stool on which he sat. So I'm standing there now, feeling his eyes burning a hole in my back while I try to clench to almost force my bladder to do its job so I could get out of there. Finally, I was done. I moved over to the sink without looking up; without even looking into the mirror lest my eye caught his. I almost dreaded turning the water off because I knew what was next. He would have to mentally review his job description to make sure he completed all the steps that were outlined when he interviewed for this job. Before I could completely turn toward him, his hand was extended, holding a fresh towel for me. I said "Thanks" with all the confidence of a shy man in a Victoria's Secret salon in the mall. I dried my hands and then experienced the second most awkward moment of the night. I remembered that I had no cash. I didn't even feign looking for money that I knew wasn't there and instead, quickly said, "I'll be right back!" I left the bathroom, dashed upstairs and got money from my dinner companion. She asked why and I just said I would explain later. I went back downstairs and into the bathroom and handed him the money, apologizing as I did. He smiled broadly and said "Thank you so much!"

After we left the restaurant, I couldn't help but think about what condition one must be in to have to stoop so low as to have to sit in the bowels of a restaurant watching men come and go, peeing and washing, and drying their hands, and only feel like an insignificant blip on their radar, and hoping they give you a dollar or two. But then, I thought about what kind of strength of conviction and courage and determination one must have to himself or his family to be able to stand so high as to sit in the bowels of a restaurant watching men come and go, peeing and washing, and drying their hands, and only feel like an insignificant blip on their radar, and hoping they give you a dollar or two. It was an invaluable lesson for me that night, after my expensive meal in the expensive restaurant in the heart of NYC. I saw humility. I saw pride. I saw strength of character.

He also serves who stands and hands out towels.

Vighpyr's Internet Radio Finally Broadcasting!

Well, I have the radio up in beta mode right now. I'll be broadcasting over the next several days just testing the stream and making sure that the various players work okay. For the beta period, I'll be testing all kinds of formats, from R&B to jazz to hip-hop. After the stream is solid, I'll be going full-time with the station, with a jazz/oldies/old school format. It should be fun. Right now, I've only got the Windows Media Player stream going, and will put the Real Player and Quicktime streams online in a bit. So for now, enjoy the music, and look forward to us going live shortly. Here's the link for Media Player:

Vighpyr's Place Radio

Adventures in Telemarketing

Like anyone else of a sound mind, I hate telemarketers. Well, not the telemarketers themselves; just the whole industry process. Because inevitably, they'll call when I am:

1. getting out of the shower
2. getting in the shower
3. in the shower
4. eating dinner
5. eating snacks
6. on the way in the door
7. on the way out of the door

Well, you get the idea. I was reading about some ways to 'manage' the whole telemarketer experience with cleverness and guile and decided to give it a try. So here is the play-by-play of the call I got earlier in the week.

Him: "Hello, I'd like to speak to Michael J, please!"

Me: "Speaking."

Him: "Hello Mr. J., my name is Brent and I'm calling to follow up on the credit card offer we sent to you last week and want to just get some information from you so that we can activate it and get you going with using your new card right away. So let me just verify your mailing address to get started... I have your address as _______. Is that correct?"

Me: "Brent, thank you so much, but I'm not interested in getting any more credit cards at this time, but thanks for calling!"

Him: "Well Mr. J, you know that we provide a low 8.1% interest rate for the first year of the card and 0% on balance transfers for 6 months. It's a great deal that's only being offered to our preferred customers. So if you'll verify your mailing address for me; I have your address as _______. Is that correct?"

Me: "No, like I said, Brent, I'm not interested in any more credit cards. I have more than enough right now. Thanks anyway, though!"

Him: "Well, Michael.... may I call you "Michael"?"

Me: "No."

Him: "Oh, okay...Well Mr. J, you probably didn't realize that with our platinum MasterCard, you can..."

Me: (abruptly interrupting) "Wait a minute!! Leroy?! Is this you Leroy?!"

Him: "Uh... no..."

Me: "Yes it is!! Leroy, quit playin' man! I know dis' you!! What chu' doin' at home man? Aren't you supposed to meet with your parole officer today?"

Him: "Uh.. this is Brent from _____ bank... I wante..."

Me: (interrupting again) "Leroy you don't even SOUND like a banker man or nothing. You still coming over tonight? You gonna' bring the 40's with you???"

Him: (silence)

Me: "LEROY! Hello?? LEROY?!?"

Him: "Have a good afternoon, sir." (click)

Ahhh... I love telemarketers.

A Brief History of Iraq

My "little" brother is in the process of transitioning to a new location after spending more than 13 years in North Carolina. His new home will be in the D.C. area and fortunately, I'll be close enough to him to be able to visit whenever I want, and vice-versa. But this isn't about his new living conditions. This is about his profession and the impact it has on him, and others like him.

Flip ('short' for Philip) is a U.S. Marine. A hard-core marine. He has been in the corp for 18 years, and was promoted to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant faster than most enlisted personnel achieve the rank of sergeant. He served four tours of duty in his career; Desert Storm in the Gulf, Somalia, Afganistan, and he just returned from Iraq a little more than 5 months ago. Needless to say, we were all ecstatic that he was returned to us safely, particularly since we almost lost him after the Somalia conflict.

I have always been on one distinctly polarized position regarding the war in Iraq. And maybe that's a discussion for another blog entry. Bt one of the most significant challenges that I have with the conflict as it stands is the fact that it has been relegated to an assessment of numbers. Whether it's on the news or in the paper, we constantly hear of the number of troops who have lost their lives on any given day, and most unfortunately, every day. And we have become so numb to the news that it is sometimes almost as expected as the daily weather report. And I was the same way, until my baby brother was shipped out. Then, things took on a different meaning for me. I literally was dreading each time the phone rang during certain times of the day because although I knew that I felt I was prepared to less than the best news, I know that it would have been way too much for me to handle.

Fortunately, through the use of technology, we were able to maintain a connection with him, and shared some of his experiences via email and written notes. Probably most notable was the number of very young men who fought, and who sometimes gave their lives. Flip sent a picture of some of his men and the most striking thing was the fact that they all were so young! And regardless of my personal opinions about the conflict, things seemed to always come into perspective when I would look at the faces of the brave young men who on a daily, and hourly basis put their lives at risk. Beyond the ongoing danger to their lives, the conditions in which they lived were amazing. On a regular basis, RPGs were lobbed into the perimeter, and unless his men were on their toes on a regular basis, serious injury or death could have occurred; particularly since the sand allowed the grenades to operate in somewhat of a stealth mode. And during significant mortar attacks, they had the 'luxury' of taking cover in their state of the art 'bunkers' until the barrage ceased. There was sand on top of sand on top of sand, and eauipment, gear and personal items all became havens for renegrade particles of sand.

For the most part, most of their time was spent on patrol, and waiting for nothing much to happen. And that was one of the most challenging things for Flip. Leading so many young men created a need to have them stay aware and keep on their toes. Sometimes, the calm in-between the storm lent itself to letting their guard down, and therefore, the possibility of getting themselves into trouble.

One of the most exciting things for me, however, was the fact that there were famous personalities in Iraq. Do you remember "Sanford and Son"? Well he sent us the picture below and swore that he had found the "Bubba" of Iraq. I'm not sure that I totally disagree! What do you think?