A night out with the Woodinville Community Band

Posted on March 27, 2011 by Gandalfe

Suzy and I have been members of the Woodinville Community Band for over seven years now. I have been the sax section leader and joined the board six years ago as the Event Coordinator. Suzy has been in the clarinet section and is now the Librarian managing the three bands (Concert, Eastside Modern Jazz Orchestra, and Pacific Cascade Big Band) music library.

There have been three directors during that time. The current director, Leah MacDuffie, is amazing and has a great sense of humor. She has to have humor to survive working with 60 people who are hobbyist musicians! Last night’s concert was a tour de force with some of the hardest music I’ve ever played! Our videographer, Harry Miller, captured this picture of the the band:

WCB_EarthAndSky

I was struck with a couple of impressions from this concert. One, more people from the band wandered out and talked with the audience during the intermission. I had first seen this with the Washington Wind Symphony. Some of my sax section peeps saw me doing that again this concert and said they didn’t know we were allowed to do that. Going out into the audience and talking to the many family and friends who attended the concert reminds me a lot of my youth in Iowa where there were potlucks (remember them?) and concerts on the courthouse lawn. That was a time that people took the time to talk to their neighbors.

After the concert there was a flurry of turning in music and moving the rhythm section stuff back to the high school band room and the trailer. Then we all met at Claim Jumpers to break bread, chat, and get to know people. My table included tenor saxophonist John Gess, who was going stag that night as his lovely wife Hilde was out of town, trumpet player extraordinaire Dave, clarinetist Anita, and their son (a sax player but not in the WCB (yet?) he is going to WWU), and Suzy and me. 90 minutes later we were making our good byes and Suzy and I were astounded how fast time had gone.

Some time in the near future I will be posting a video or two from this concert. I really feel Suzy and I are so fortunate to get to play a in concert band of this caliber together. I wonder how many of the folks in the band realize how lucky we really are. There are many people on the waiting list to get into the 60+ band and no openings! And the music we play is very dramatic, be it a piece by a composer like Holst or and final and triumphant encore by Sousa! Here is a taste from a recent concert:

Feel free to join the Woodinville Community Band, family and friends on Facebook for future announcements of concerts, events and band openings for musicians.

Posted in Band, Clarinet, Community, Saxophone, WCB | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ben Law: The House of Straw

Posted on March 26, 2011 by Gandalfe

imageEolake points to this video this week, one of his favorite Woodman videos. Ben Law lives and works at Prickly Nut Woods in West Sussex, where apart from making a living from coppicing he trains apprentices and runs courses on sustainable woodland management, ecobuilding and permaculture design.

Apparently, it took Ben many years to get his permits to build. The laws protecting woodland in the UK are pretty tough as I guess they probably are in most countries. We live in a bureaucratic world which is probably as good as it is bad. If everyone and anyone could build a house were they wanted, our shared natural environment would be a poorer place.

Here is the heart wrenching video, heart wrenching on a number of levels:

This dedication to building as a part of the environment rather than on top of it is the stuff of great stories. I can never get enough of it even though it’s not a path I would choose.

Posted in Architecture, Art, Community, Politics, romantic, Video, YouTube | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Goodnight Sweet Shelby

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Gandalfe

Today our German Shepherd of 15 years passed on to dawgly heaven. She was the sweetest dog, our constant companion, friend and security guard. She lived a full and happy life, spending the last three years helping us train Amelia the puppy. She desired nothing more than to be with us and for us to allow her to guard the homestead. Sleep well Dawgly.

DSCF1234  Shelby 

 DSCF0650

Posted in Dog, Health and wellness, Hobbies, Pets | Tagged | 2 Comments

Alltop’s Holy Kaw! The Hidden Costs of College

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Gandalfe

Taken from Holy Kaw! on the Alltop site:Print I found this very interesting because the costs they attribute are also pulled from costs that you accrue no matter what you are doing. So why is coffee added to the cost of education if it is part of the overhead. Same could be said for clothing, entertainment, alcohol, travel, …

Read the small print! Many college students are racking up credit card debt too.

Creds to Guy Kawasaki who pointed to this fine graphic and then we all see his book advertised at the top of the page. His book is Enchantment, the Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions. Kirkus Reviews sez of this book:

Apple’s former chief evangelist leads businessfolk down the path to enchantment.

The entrepreneur’s entrepreneur is back with his 10th book, this time tackling the tricky art of influence and persuasion. Kawasaki (Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging and Outmarketing Your Competition, 2011, etc.) transforms the otherwise exhausted and overwrought tropes of how to win friends and influence people with a complete makeover here, whether he’s talking about wardrobe choice or tips for effective swearing.

The author, a modern-day Dale Carnegie, offers explanations on how to wield the most influence in the digital age: Push Technologies like presentations, e-mails and Twitter are discussed as active means of enchanting others, while Pull Technologies like Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn passively draw them in. The author’s suggestions for achieving likeability and trustworthiness, as well as overcoming resistance, are thoroughly explained and can easily translate from the workplace to the real world.

Kawasaki makes good use of subheads and bullet points, rendering information in a searchable format. He ends each chapter with an anecdote that illuminates the effectiveness of his techniques—while it’s not original, it’s effective. The author’s trademark light and airy style is on display, but it’s his humor and empathy that makes the heavy use of BusinessSpeak and buzzwords more easily palatable.

Informative, concise guide from one of America’s most influential and, yes, enchanting entrepreneurs.

I do recommend following Guy on Twitter too!

Posted in Advertisement, Blogosphere, Education, Everyday Science, Twitter | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Newsflash: You are not owed a Retirement

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Gandalfe

From Eolake’s blog, Who pays for the Pensions?:

Many people believe that what they pay in taxes now is being saved up to pay for their pension when they grow old. S’not so,  what’s being paid now is paying for the current pensioners. And when the baby-boomers retire very soon, there may be a problem, it is a very large chunk of population to have on permanent vacation for 25 years, paid for by much small groups of younger generations.

retirement

(From a recent issue of MoneyWeek.)

I am always surprised how many of my family and friends are so anxious to retire by 55. I might retire when I’m 62 when my military pension kicks in, or 67.5 when my social security maximizes. Fortunately I love my job, for the most part. But when we hear that people who retire early tend to die earlier than their working counterparts, you have to wonder. I am a bit frightened about retiring because my work so defines me. And I seem to learn something at least every week if not more often at work. What’s that old sayin’, “Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.”

Posted in Economics, In the news..., News and politics, retirement | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Saxo Beer, the Sax Man’s choice

Posted on March 18, 2011 by Gandalfe

image

imageMy bass sax playing friend Helen muses: What Does A REAL Sax Player Drink? Molly, our lead sax in the Professor Gadget Sax Quartet, shoots back this link to thIs:

SAXO from Brasserie Caracole is a very complex artisanal Wallonian blond ale with an unusual hoppiness, bitterness and a touch of spice. Bizarre grainy punch of taste preceding hops and waves of flavors whizzing over the tongue.

image

Now, how do I buy this beer!  Smile

Posted in Advertisement, Hobbies, Saxophone | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Seattle, aka the Emerald City ~ a visual postcard

Posted on March 18, 2011 by Gandalfe

Seattle… my home, picked with love from all the travels Suzy and I had while in the military. This visual postcard kinda speaks to the hidden gem that the Emerald City really is. Pssst, don’t tell anyone as there are more people coming here than leaving. We’ll keep it our secret, okay?

imageIncredible Views Of Seattle, The Emerald City (VIDEO)

Joel and Jessie Edwards put together this visual postcard as an ode to a city they must hold dear. While Seattle may get a bad rap for being dreary and rainy, the video shows that the sun shines quite brightly in the Emerald City.

The mini-film highlights famous sights from around the town, including the Space Needle (the movie makers show it in still and live form) which soars over the skyline, as well as charming views of the city’s waterfront in different seasons. The soundtrack comes courtesy of Eugene, Oregon native Mat Kearney, which only serves to add to the short film’s cinematic effect.

Read and see more…

image

Click on picture to view video and hear Mat Kearney’s original song “City of Black and White”

Posted in My World, Seattle, Travel, Video, Vocalist | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spam Killer: Microsoft and Feds take down the largest Botnet in the World!

Posted on March 18, 2011 by Gandalfe

Just Tweeted: Largest Spam Network Shut Down by Microsoft and Feds! http://tinyurl.com/SpamBlowStruck

Now for the rest of the story from the Official Microsoft Blog:

image

Just over a year ago, we announced that the Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit (DCU), in cooperation with industry and academic experts, had successfully taken down the botnet Waledac in an operation known as “Operation b49”. Today, I’m happy to announce that based on the knowledge gained in that effort, we have successfully taken down a larger, more notorious and complex botnet known as Rustock. This botnet is estimated to have approximately a million infected computers operating under its control and has been known to be capable of sending billions of spam mails every day, including fake Microsoft lottery scams and offers for fake – and potentially dangerous – prescription drugs.

Read more…

Posted in Blog, In the news..., Microsoft, Spam | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

LA Times OpEd: Saved by the (sax’s) bell

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Gandalfe

by Daniel J. Levitin

2“What is it?” I asked.

“Open it,” he said, “and you’ll see.”

The case was like nothing I had ever seen. The outside had strong, masculine black leather all around, and brass buckles held it closed. I released the buckles and looked inside — purple, tufted velvet held a battered, dented, dull and rusty brass instrument. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.

“It’s a saxophone,” Mr. Edie said. “I’m starting a school jazz band, and I’d like you to be the lead saxophone player.”

Read more…

Posted in Music | Leave a comment

Your Neighborhood: Where Americans Are Moving?

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Gandalfe

imageForbes provides a fascinating snapshot of what the status of movement is for anywhere in the United States in the Map: Where Americans Are Moving article. As I look at this map (more black than red) I infer that more people are move to rather than from the county I live in (based on IRS stats). Secondly there is strong secondary move to adjoining counties, I’m guessing due to the high taxes in King county.

Suzy and I talk about how to reduce our costs of living as we near our retirement age. One of the options is to move to a nearby but less costly local. This map shows there are a lot of people doing that already (red surrounding King county). So as we take a look see the prices of decent property within a half day’s drive of the Seattle area proper are rising rather quickly. Timing is everything but we are not willing to give up the Seattle community life for that of a smaller town. Not yet anyway.

imageTip of the cap to Guy Kawasaki on Twitter who’s associated icon reads, “Enchantment. Reluctance is futile.” I find myself forwarding a lot of his tweets. His by-line reads: Firehose that answers the question, What’s interesting? Co-founder of Alltop. Former chief evangelist of Apple. Author of Enchantment.

Posted in Community, In the news..., My World, Nerds, News and politics, retirement, Statistics, United States | Tagged , , | 3 Comments