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Bruce Springsteen

• Sep 27, 2010 from JohnnyX87(Johnny A)
  Life and career
  19491972: Early years
  Springsteen was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, and spent his childhood and high school years in Freehold Borough. He lived off South Street in Freehold Borough and attended Freehold Borough High School. His father, Douglas Frederick Springsteen, was of Dutch and Irish ancestry and worked, among other vocations, as a bus driver; his surname is Dutch for stepping stone. His mother, Adele Ann (ne Zerilli), was a legal secretary and was of Italian ancestry. His grandfather was born in Vico Equense, a city near Naples. He has two younger sisters, Virginia and Pamela. Pamela had a brief film career, but left acting to pursue still photography full time; she took photos for the Human Touch and Lucky Town albums.
  Raised a Roman Catholic, Springsteen attended the St. Rose of Lima Catholic school in Freehold Borough, where he was at odds with both the nuns and other students, even though much of his later music reflects a deep Catholic ethos and included many rock-influenced, traditional Irish-Catholic hymns.
  In ninth grade, he transferred to the public Freehold Regional High School, but did not fit in there, either. Old teachers have said he was a loner, who wanted nothing more than to play his guitar. He completed high school, but felt so uncomfortable that he skipped his own graduation ceremony. He briefly attended Ocean County College, but dropped out.
  Springsteen had been inspired to take up music at the age of seven after seeing Elvis Presley on The Ed Sullivan Show. At 13, he bought his first guitar for $18; later, his mother took out a loan to buy the 16-year-old Springsteen a $60 Kent guitar, as he later memorialized in his song The Wish.
  In 1965, he went to the house of Tex and Marion Vinyard, who sponsored young bands in town. They helped him become lead guitarist and subsequently the lead singer of The Castiles. The Castiles recorded two original songs at a public recording studio in Brick Township and played a variety of venues, including Cafe Wha? in Greenwich Village. Marion Vinyard said that she believed the young Springsteen when he promised he would make it big.
  Called for induction when he was 19, Springsteen failed his physical examination and didnt serve in Vietnam. In an interview in Rolling Stone magazine in 1984, he said, When I got on the bus to go take my physical, I thought one thing: I aint goin. He suffered a concussion in a motorcycle accident when he was 17, and this together with his crazy behaviour at induction and not taking the tests, was enough to get him a 4F.
  New Jersey beach towns such as Asbury Park, New Jersey inspired the themes of ordinary life in Bruce Springsteens music.
  In the late 1960s, Springsteen performed briefly in a power trio known as Earth, playing in clubs in New Jersey. Springsteen acquired the nickname The Boss during this period as when he played club gigs with a band he took on the task of collecting the bands nightly pay and distributing it amongst his bandmates. Springsteen, however, has never liked this nickname, due to his dislike of bosses. Lately, however, he seems to have accepted the nickname. Many recent concerts have audiences making up various signs on banners, license plates and so on saying, Boss Time. Previously he had the nickname Doctor. From 1969 through early 1971, Springsteen performed with Steel Mill, which also featured Danny Federici, Vini Lopez, Vinnie Roslin and later Steve Van Zandt and Robbin Thompson. They went on to play the mid-Atlantic college circuit, and also briefly in California. In January 1970 well-known San Francisco Examiner music critic Philip Elwood gave Springsteen credibility in his glowing assessment of Steel Mill: I have never been so overwhelmed by totally unknown talent. Elwood went on to praise their cohesive musicality and, in particular, singled out Springsteen as a most impressive composer. During this time Springsteen also performed regularly at small clubs in Asbury Park and along the Jersey Shore, quickly gathering a cult following. Other acts followed over the next two years, as Springsteen sought to shape a unique and genuine musical and lyrical style: Dr Zoom & the Sonic Boom (earlyid 1971), Sundance Blues Band (mid 1971), and The Bruce Springsteen Band (mid 1971id 1972). With the addition of pianist David Sancious, the core of what would later become the E Street Band was formed, with occasional temporary additions such as horn sections, The Zoomettes (a group of female backing vocalists for Dr Zoom) and Southside Johnny Lyon on harmonica. Musical genres explored included blues, R&B, jazz, church music, early rockn'roll, and soul. His prolific songwriting ability, with more words in some individual songs than other artists had in whole albums, brought his skill to the attention of several people who were about to change his life: new managers Mike Appel and Jim Cretecos, and legendary Columbia Records talent scout John Hammond, who, under Appels pressure,...

Marshall Auerback: Deficit Drivel: Hillary Singing Same Wrong Tune as Obama

• Sep 13, 2010 from insurancemake in *
  Cross-posted from New Deal 2.0.
  
  I'm not a big fan of Dick Morris, but he does know his Clintons. In his most recent blog posted last week, he posits the idea that Hillary is beginning to position herself for a challenge to President Obama, based on some recent statements she made on our rising national debt. She said:
  "I think that our rising debt level poses a national security threat and it poses a national security threat in two ways: it undermines our capacity to act in our own interests and it does constrain us where constraint may be undesirable. And it also sends a message of weakness, internationally."
  
  
  
  The contrast with her husband's presidency, notes Morris, is implicit: Bill balanced the budget and reduced the debt to the point where Wall Street fretted that there would be no more federal debt instruments to buy.
  
  But under scrutiny, both Hillary's statement and Morris's interpretation of her husband's legacy turn out to be wrong. First of all, let's deal with the nonsensical idea that budget surpluses would ever hamstring Wall Street's ability to respond to a perceived shortage of debt instruments. Even when the federal deficits began to decline under Clinton, the world demand for dollar denominated fixed income assets outstripped supply, and our ingenious Wall Street financial engineers happily generated new sources of supply, beyond Treasuries. The "innovation" we got largely involved mobilizing U.S. household debt, especially mortgage debt, as a portfolio substitute for more traditional government and corporate debt. It's one of the main reasons we're in our current mess. Had we not had 4 consecutive years of budget surpluses, our pensioners and others who rely on a stable source of income to park their money would have a bigger supply of Treasuries and far less of these toxic pieces of paper which have acted like a cancer on our economy.
  
  As for the actual statements of our Secretary of State, it is understandable that Hillary would seek to portray her husband's presidency in the most positive light possible. But her statement on our rising debt levels illustrates that the Secretary is similarly held in thrall to the disastrous and wrongheaded legacy of Rubinomics. Whether Dick Morris is right or not about her Presidential aspirations, her deficit phobia makes one hesitant to proclaim her a logical successor to President Obama. Neither one of them gets it.
  
  The idea that the budget surpluses of the Clinton era were a wonderful thing is in fact a destructive myth that continues to afflict most Democrats in regard to economic policy making today, including both Secretary Clinton and President Obama. It's probably the main reason why the Democrats continue to approach fiscal policy with such apparent timidity in response to today's crisis of unemployment and why voters remain angry and frustrated.
  
  President Clinton himself used to brag about these budget surpluses, and claimed that they would last for at least 15 years and that every dollar of government debt would be retired. Everyone celebrated this accomplishment, and claimed the budget surplus was great for the economy. In fact, the opposite was true: the budget surplus meant by accounting identity that the private sector was running a deficit. Households and firms were going ever farther into debt, and they were losing their net wealth of government bonds, as the surpluses continued.
  
  Of course during the ensuing recession, the budget turned around to large and growing deficits almost immediately because the private sector became too indebted and thus had to cut back spending. And we still have large budget deficits today because of this huge resultant gap in private sector economic activity, a collapse that we refuse to address because the public is being whipped up into a hysterical frenzy about the evils of government spending.
  
  Rational discourse about fiscal policy is not helped when our Secretary of State begins espousing the notion that our deficit represents a national security threat - something along the lines of a financial bubonic plague or comparable to a terrorist threat. No, Madam Secretary, the Chinese can't all of a sudden "dump" our bonds and drive us to national bankruptcy. No US dollar funds which the US government spends come from foreign countries. That is a fallacy. Only the US government issues US dollars -- not China, Japan, any European country, nor Australia. These countries may buy US government bonds, but they use US dollars which they get through trade.
  
  The US government never loses its ability to spend in US dollars and actions by foreign countries have no influence on that capacity. The reality is that the only thing that has supported the tepid growth we have seen in the last 12 months has been fiscal policy. Much of the shift in budget positions across the world has been driven by the automatic stabilizers which will reverse when growth returns.
  
  So the Secretary can relax. We can buy as...

Garmin nvi 855 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Speech Recognition

• Sep 29, 2010 from topbook99(mana chai) in Lifestyle
  Garmin nvi 855 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Speech Recognition Review.
  
  
  
  
  
  Nuvi 855: Outstanding Value, despite some shortcomings2009-06-11By nuvifan (Redmond, WA)This is an unusually long product review, but I just couldnt help but brag about the Nuvi 855, as well as express several complaints about Garmin shortcomings.
  Pros and Cons of the Garmin Nuvi 855
  PROs: Custom routing; ease of setting unit options; responsiveness to my spoken commands; quick map scrolling via finger movement; Lane Assistance arrows are helpful; map detail is better than on the 755/765; place names appear on screen as you drive; extensive and easy use-to-use Points of Interest database, and POIs can be displayed on map if you choose.
  CONs: Volume needs to be louder; warnings of upcoming turns should come sooner; inadequate online manual provides insufficient detail about unit operations;; cannot actually turn unit fully OFF; Lane Assistance displays are very limited; significant learning curve required to confidently program ANY Garmin to respond as the user intends.
  Primary GPS Purpose and Recent Nuvi Ownership
  I highly recommend the Nuvi 855, but my perspective is primarily based on three road trips, using its Custom Routing feature, plus recent experience with two other Nuvis. My main purpose was to create specific routes before trips, such as eight driving days averaging 500 miles each, on unfamiliar highways and city streets (and also finding McDonalds when we wanted). I have benefited tremendously from the unusual experience of using a Garmin 760 for a month last year, then recently driving 4,000 miles with a more advanced 755but returned it to get this outstanding value in an 855. I have since used the 855 on a one week trip (and fully expect the bulk of its features to work as they have on the earlier 760 and 755).
  We do not need Bluetooth (due to our pre-installed car option), nor the free Traffic alert service (found it mostly useless in 755), nor the 3-D buildings or Eco Route features in other Garmins. Perhaps commuters would enjoy the Traffic service in other Nuvis, but our limited highway trip experience found it alerted unnecessarily, and offered unhelpful detour advice: We thought it an interesting gimmick, but which Garmin may well improve over time.
  Low Volume
  Many reviewers complain the 855 volume is so low as to warrant returning their units. Actually, low volume may be the most common complaint seen online among all Nuvis. My wife and I agree that volume on the 760/755/855 is too low, but we have never missed a turn because of it: We usually anticipate when an important voice instruction is coming, and turn down the stereo and close windows to listen harder. Its a slight inconvenience, but that main flaw is worth overlooking. Everyone should be certain to check both possible Volume settings: the main one should be at 100% volume, but also set Mixer to have all three volume adjustments at 100%. One other learned trick is that users can press the Next Turn arrows (upper left corner), and hear again the upcoming turn instruction, as well as have it display the upcoming intersection at the same time. [I almost always check the "next turn" instruction well before upcoming turns; I also find it helpful to press the green text line at the top of the map screen to display a summary of several upcoming turns on my route. This practice should prove useful with many other Nuvi models.]
  Low volume is a distinct Garmin flaw, but we enjoyed the 755 for 4,000 miles despite it. We usually had some wind noise with the sunroof and rear windows open, but would close them (IF necessary) when we anticipated receiving an instruction, such as at the .8 mile mark before a turn; we frequently pressed the screen to re-hear an instruction, as well as to view the turn well beforehand. I urge others to work to overcome the volume issueand move on to enjoy all the other benefits of an 855. We believe the 855 volume is just as usable as our previous units. However, I do intend to download a popular voice editor, which other Nuvi owners have bragged about, because it lets them increase the volume of spoken instructions.
  Lane Assistance and Junction View
  855 buyers should also be aware that Lane Assistance and Junction View are VERY much complained about Garmin features, due to the fact that they are primarily available only in major metropolitan areas and on interstate highways. Despite that, we enjoyed the 755 Lane Assistance multiple turn lane arrows appearing many times during our trip through Salt Lake, Phoenix, Tucson, and San Diego, and found it very helpful. We wished Junction View pictures of the green interstate highway signs appeared more often, but thought them mostly unnecessary (except passing through Portland area @ I-205 and I-5 interchanges, where they were very helpful). I expect 855 service to be identical,
  Remote Control Voice Command
  My wife and I are tremendously pleased with...

25+ Upcoming Social Media & Tech Events

• Jul 12, 2010 from mashable(Mashable) in Technology
  Its Monday, which means its time for Mashables guide to upcoming social media and web events, parties and conferences. For more upcoming event listings, check out Mashables Events section.This summer, dont forget to check out the Mashable U.S. Summer Tour thats making stops at:Seattle July 10th San Francisco July 14th Washington D.C August 5th New York August 9th Chicago August 11th Would you like to have your conference or event listed here? If so, please contact us at least one month before your event to establish a media partnership.Here are some tips on how to network, share your information and/or promote your event using social media: HOW TO: Plan and Promote Events with Social Media 35+ Ways to Find and Plan Events Online 8 Ways to Create Paperless Business Cards 5 Useful iPhone Apps for Business NetworkingMashables Weekly Social Media and Marketing Event Guide is proudly supported by Eventbrite, the Webs Event Marketplace.July 12, 2010, Washington, D.C.: Online Marketing Summit (OMS) is coming to D.C. with all new B2B and B2C case studies and social media integration tracks, unparalleled networking opportunities and an exclusive Social Media and Content Marketing Workshop and Breakfast, brought to you by the Online Marketing Institute and Wharton Interactive Media Initiative. Learn search, social media and integrated marketing from the leading experts at Kodak, ExactTarget and HubSpot. Register now with promo code MASH20 for 20% off.July 12-13 & 15-16, 2010, Singapore and Hong Kong: Join us at this Media Relations conference. This two-day event will see leading PR practioners gather to share more about the integration of social media and traditional media. PR professionals can look forward to discussing strategies that help you achieve your communication objectives and enhance your media relations and positive coverage. Learn how top B2B and B2C companies integrate new media tools for a well-rounded approach. Register today. Save 10% when you enter Mashable under Additional Info.July 12-13, San Francisco, CA: MobileBeat 2010, VentureBeats third annual executive conference on the future of mobile, has expanded this year to a new two-day format. The theme: The Year of The Superphone and Who Will Profit. Were assembling the major players in the industry to discuss, debate and explore wholl win in the midst of the superphone revolution and why. Join 500 mobile industry leaders from the major U.S. and international carriers, to the top device makers, developers, startups, marketers and investors for two packed days of exciting content, breakaway sessions, power networking and deal-making. For all events details, click here. Register with promo code VB_Mashable and save 15%.July 12-15, 2010, Washington, D.C.: Attend the Advanced Learning Institutes 19th Forum on Social Media for Government: How To Engage Your Employees And Citizens By Using The Latest Web 2.0 Technologies To Drive Communication Results, to learn how to incorporate social media into your communications and marketing plans and leverage the latest interactive Web 2.0 tools and techniques to advance your organizational goals. Hear practical advice, firsthand, from leading organizations such as: Army Corps of Engineers; National Wildlife Federation; USDA; City of Raleigh, NC; University of Georgia Libraries; CDC; U.S. Department of Defense; U.S. Navy; Social Security Administration; U.S. General Services Administration; Transportation Security Administration; and more. Mention Mashable when registering to save $200.July 13, 2010, London, UK: This senior level forum offers SVPs, VPs, Directors & Heads of eCommerce, Online, Marketing, Digital and Customer Experience the opportunity to discuss strategies, solutions and best practice for enhancing the customer experience and delivering competitive differentiation by effectively managing and integration online, social and mobile channels. Offering a unique mix of keynote briefings, interactive discussions and one-to-one meetings Customer Experience Online will provide you with a unique opportunity to propel your online initiatives to success and position yourself at the forefront of the industry. Spaces are limited and by invitation only, click here to find out if you qualify. When booking your place, please use discount code MASH_BAN for a 10% discount.July 14, 2010 London, UK: Just what does all this chatter mean and how do you use it to further steer your comms? To manage brand perception? To measure success? And how do you build on success? Strengthen customer relationships? React to negative sentiment? Well, weve persuaded a whole raft of whizzes to tackle those issues and many more besides at IAB HQ in central London. Therell be Pecha Kucha-style presentations aplenty, a heavyweight panel discussion, plus a networking and drinks session where the conversations can flow. Register today for 10 off the full price of 95 at http://www.brand-e.biz/buzzmashable.htmlJuly 14, 2010, New...

Warped Tour 2010 Review

• Sep 07, 2010 from gauntletforever(Raymond Flotat) in *
  Now in its 16th year, Warped Tour is now as old as the median age of its attendees. The tour exhibits a more eclectic variety of music (including metal, electronic and emo) than the punk roots concert series which began in 1994, showcasing bands such as Bad Religion, Pennywise and NOFX. Though the music has changed over time, Warped Tour still employs its time-honored style of performances, including multiples stages performing at the same time, forcing tour goers to pick and choose between their favorite bands. Still, like clockwork, many locals return to the same venue to catch the annual tour. In addition to the usuals who make a tradition out of the show is the new generation of music fans. As the bands will attest, a day at Warped is nothing short of chaos, but what else could be expected of the longest running punk tour?
  Often coming under fire for its widespread, rampant commercialism, Warped consists of an assortment of advertising booths. Willy Wonka had their own covered canopy area, offering a boost of sugar to passer-bys and a free photo booth. Trojan condoms presented a large, inflatable tube, reminiscent of a condom, which housed several bands throughout the day as they signed autographs for their fans. The Monster energy drink truck was in attendance, giving out free samples of their newest model of beverages. In a very non-commercial display of kindness, an inflatable slip-n-slide existed in the center of the tour grounds, offering a refreshing drench to all who dared on the hot, summer day. A number of charities also exist, petitioning everything from halting animal cruelty (Elephants Never Forget) to preventing teen suicide (To Write Love on her Arm). Of course, each band present also has their own merch booth at the tour, including the bands Alkline Trio, AM Taxi, Andrew WK, Anti-Flag, Attack Attack, Automatic Loveletter, Closure in Moscow, Dropkick Murphys, Fake Problems, Every Time I Die, Eyes Set to Kill, Green Jelly, iwrestledabearonce, Mayday Parade, Pretty Reckless, Parkway Drive, Versa Emerge, Reel Big Fish, The Cab, The Casualties and many other bands on Warped Tour 2010.
  
  Bands sets dont last any longer than 30 minutes. They use this time to crunch as many hit songs as they can into their set, leaving no room for idle banter. The Dillinger Escape Plan played on the main stage early in the day, beginning things with a heaping dope of metal. Their stand-in singer screamed the lyrics to the first song before handing the microphone to Greg, their vocalist. With powerful shredding guitar and throbbing drums, Dillinger Escape Plan scream their way into a high energy performance. Though the lyrics may be inaudible, the band delivers a form of experimental metal that is unique to modern trends in the genre. At least they have that going for them.
  
  Green Jelly take the stage after a dramatic entrance. The singer is dressed as a comical shogun, with shoulder pads, dreadlocks, light sabers on his back, giant skulls for shoes and a pig face as a codpiece. The entire get up lends to the image of a Power Rangers villain reject and makes it very difficult to take them seriously. The actual vocals arent as bad as the singers choice of wardrobe, sounding a little bit like Lemmy from Motorhead. The guitar player, Tommy Victor from Danzig, almost makes up for the awkwardness with original chords and riffs. Their set list includes several of their own songs and a cover of The Bear Went Over the Mountain in a similar comical fashion.
  
  In front of a throng of middle aged punks sporting their leather jackets that survived the 80s, The Casualties played on a stage in the far corner of the tour. After denouncing the other bands on the tour, Jorge Herrera instructed everyone to stage dive, chicken fight, and circle pit, much to the chagrin of security. A few fans took their orders slightly too far when people in the crowd were trampled and bleeding, though no serious injuries occurred. Their performance of old-school-in-your-face punk was pumped with attitude and energy in their iconic Casualties style.
  
  Bursting their way into the pop punk scene is Versa Emerge, who played a very well-executed set. Their melodic brand of pop rock, with the use of subtle vocal harmonies by the female vocalist Sierra and the backup vocalist/guitarist Blake, gives them the sound of a heavier Paramore. This team of musicians quickly developed their own unique style of performance and delightful sound that should give them some momentum in the future.
  
  Automatic Loveletter serve a set that is honed with a certain style of dissonance. With the use of poppy thrash rock, they develop a sound that isnt so dissimilar from Circa Survive. Their pulsing performance gets the audience on their feet and moving on one of the smaller side stages.
  
  The beloved Andrew W.K. steps onto the main stage in the afternoon, giving out t-shirts and other swag in between his songs. His fast and hard party anthems whip the crowd into a fist pumping...