In The Can

I was released from work Friday but I'm not panicking quite yet. The parting was on good terms and I have been told that I'd be called back once operations resumed later this summer, which takes a huge weight off of my mind. My widening job searches have been less than fruitless, they have been downright depressing- the Websites are chock-a-bloc with "$132 a Day Taking Surveys at Home", "Work From Your Own PC", " Now Hiring On-Line Psychologists" and similar grifting hucksterism, but damned few 'real' jobs are to be found -the kind that you get paid for doing, that is to say.

Note: If an electronically-delivered "job offer" includes a check-box asking you if you are interested in furthering your education or receiving vocational training, the "offer" is a scam. The "employer" wants your contact info, which will then be added to a huge mailing list that is re-sold to other spammers; for you, this means an in-box full of useless, possibly harmful spam to sort through...if it looks fishy, it is. Really.

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Unsolicited Plugs Department: Months ago, I received an email regarding a blog post I had written that passingly mentioned Jazz music- the email was from a music PR company that wanted to know if I would consider featuring one of their (Jazz) clients for my podcasts...I wrote back saying that I didn't play much Jazz, nor did I have a podcast, but I do have a radio program and I'd love to get my ears on some new music- my request was quickly granted and now a significant number of the new, 'under-known' artists that I feature have been introduced to me by the good folks at Ariel Publicity.

If you are a radio DJ or a podcaster, contact them and check out their service- you can find mp3s, bios, contacts and info on how to get more of what you need -all free! If I were still actively performing/recording, I'd be checking into that too.

I am also a big fan of Airplay Direct- if you are an indie radio DJ, I highly recommend signing up for their free service . It's a very user-friendly site that allows you to search using a wide range of criteria and the mp3 downloads are usually 320/kbs , which is as good as you can expect from an mp3. Again, if I were still writing/playing music, I'd want to be represented by AD.

Curiously, I was showing a fellow volunteer some of the CDs I recently received from [the services mentioned above] and he sneered at my new arrivals- "they have an agenda when they send you that shit", he declared.

"You mean beyond getting paid to promote bands?", I asked, "I mean, that's the whole point, right?"

"Exactly", he replied with cryptic smugness.

Then he departed, leaving me to wonder what the fuck he meant by "agenda".

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No disclosure required: I don't work for either one of the websites mentioned above, nor do I get paid for my radio work- but I do get easy access to great new music that I can share with my listeners:

The New Breakfast Snob, June 6, 2008:

Cafebar 401- The Trip We're On
Ross Phazor- Full Circle
Brian Stoltz- God, Guns and Money
Bob Dylan- Neighborhood Bully

Jennings- Doorway
Mary Jennings recorded her first CD as a way of dealing with the death of her mother. I can relate.
Stefanie Seskin- I Just Keep On

The Duhks- True Religion

XTC- Dear God
The banjo in 'True Religion' seamlessly cross-fades into the opening guitar notes of 'Dear God' and it's one of those perfect little moments that makes life worth living.

Peter Bayreuther-Wild Roses
Cary Grace- Undertow
Cary Grace might be my all-time favorite musician, ever. I say that based on one song (this one) and one photo (which features a synthesizer- a real synthesizer).

Bedtime Story- Little Magic Mushrooms
Nijole Sparklis-Parallel Universe
HuDost- Royal Mountain
Omar Alexander-Stolen From Me

Mythica- Don't Be
Clara Bellino- Potential Criminal
This is a deceptively biting song, told from the POV of a newly-naturalized U.S. citizen - "I now have the right to be a potential criminal".

The Old Haunts- Not Hopeless
AceNoface-Snakes
Anyone who can work Garry Kasparov and Indiana Jones into a pop song is OK in my book, Face or otherwise.

The Purrs- Loose Talk
Underwhelmed-Freak
Cursive- Retreat!
More sacrilege!

Shawn Farley- Lakewater
Spy For Hire- Motorcycle
Kelly Richey- I Want You

Lisa Bianco-Already Gone
Anoushka- Good Girl Gone Wild
Blue Number Nine- Dig My Hands

It was a rockin' show.

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Help! Is there any non-trial freeware that is not named Audacity and can do what plain old Cool Edit Pro can do? My Cool Edit is trapped on my old PC and I am seriously jonesing for FFT filters and tyrannical amplitude control. If you know what I mean, then you know what I mean. 'Nuff said.