Dime for your Thoughts?

Recently I released a new CD and revised my book. There are several unique retailers and different devices in which you can purchase digital downloads of my book and CD. This blog will explain the vastly different services that different stores offer. In the book section of the blog I will discuss different retailers along with several different devices that are available. Believe me, this is all confusing, but I will explain things so that you can make an informed decision on where to purchase my book and/or CD, or your other favorite books and music. 

Lets first start with my CD. The traditional CD is available at Amazon.com, or you can purchase a signed copy at any of my events. The downloadable MP3 is available from many different retailers which offer many different types of service. One misconception is that Definitions the CD is an audio book. It is not, it is recordings of 25 of the poems from the book. These poems are recorded as I perform them on stage with added effects. Some examples would be on “Seize the Day” the effects are if I am performing in a cathedral. On “Begin Again” you get the sensation that you are on the beach. There is much more and at all stores you may sample each poem. 

Itunes is the Apple store which was created for the widely popular iPod device. You may purchase music from iTunes to use on other devices as well. The iTunes store has Definitions for $9.99 or $.99 for each track, though if you download a track or two and then decide to download the entire CD iTunes will deduct the money you have already spent, for example: if you buy 2 tracks at $1.88 then decide to download the CD then it will cost you $8.11. iTunes also offers download of videos and podcast which are different media such as radio shows etc. The Poets Haven, a poetry show I often perform at, has a podcast on itunes. Itunes is not a subscription service, you purchase singles or albums. Itunes operates different sites in the USA, Canada, UK/European Union, Japan, Australia/ New Zealand, and Mexico

to purchase Definitions at iTunes click here 

Amazon has Definitions available for $8.99 and $.99 a track. Amazon also caries the book in ebook and print copy. You may also purchase a print version of the book. Amazon only offers download of CDs or single tracks. They are not a subscription service. Amazon has a wish list which allows you to pick an item and purchase it later. Amazon operates in the USA, UK, Germany, France, China, and Japan.

To purchase from Amazon click here 

Shock Hound is a newer music download site owned by the popular clothing store Hot Topic. Shockhound offers Definitions for $ 9.99 and each track for $.99. Shockhound has a wish list like other stores to purchase later. Shockhound has an online community forum along with some other nice features which include an art gallery of band art, interviews with artists, and you can purchase bands merchandise online as well.

To purchase from ShockHound click here 

Nokia Store offers Music for their own player which is downloadable on their site, and on Nokia phones and portable devices. Nokia phones and mp3 players have a link to the store to purchase music. The Nokia store operates in several different countries throughout the world. Nokia has Definitions for $9.99 and $.99 for each track.

To purchase from the Nokia Store click here (PC site) 

Limewire Store is a newer store offered by the software company that created the the file transfer software Limewire. You must use Limewire software to download from any of their stores, they offer fast downloads and different file transfers. Limewire offers Definitions for $9.99 and each track for $.99.

 To purchase from Limewire (after installing their software) click here 

Lala is another newer store that offers three different choices. First, you may download the album, or single tracks, and the third option allows you to keep and online library at a reduced cost. Lala offers Definitions for cheaper than anyone else. The album is $7.49 downloaded for any portable music player and offline PC, each track is $.89. The third option is to add the album to your online library, which you can only listen to by logging into Lala, and the cost of that is $2.25. There is no subscription fee with Lala.

To purchase at Lala click here 

IMVU is the most unique of any of the stores. IMVU is a 3D interactive social site where you can chat and be part of a virtual world. You can create your own character, buy clothes for that character and travel the world. You can purchase Definitions by going to the mall in the game and downloading it. It costs $9.99 for the album and $.99 for a single track. The software is free though buying clothes in the game and other things cost money. You must download the software to purchase the MP3s.

To visit IMVU click here 

eMusic is a subscription service that allows you to download music as albums or single tracks. Emusic has different prices for subscriptions starting at $11.99 a month. That subscription gives you 24 downloads then around $.42 from there which is half the price of most stores. Definitions is available for $.42 per track. Emusic leans very heavily towards indie groups.

To purchase on eMusic click here 

Napster is a subscription service that allows unlimited streaming audio and downloads. You can download both albums single tracks. The subscription fee is $5.00 per month and Definitions is available for download for $9.99 or $.99 per track. Napster is the digital download site for Best Buy.

To purchase on Napster click here 

Rhapsody is a subscription service that plays only streaming music. You can listen to whatever song you want whenever you want (as long as you are online) and the subscription fee starts at $12.99 a month. Rhapsody has other plans which allow you to store songs on an Mp3 player. You can also purchase the album or any single track without subscribing to Rhapsody. Definitions sells for $9.99 for the album and $.99 per track.

To purchase, listen to, and/or subscribe to Rhapsody click here 

Hopefully this explains all these stores, I chose to sell at all these stores so that my customers would have many different choices and one that fits their tastes. Many of the bookstores and venues I will appear will be offering a link on their websites to sell my album as well, though those sites will direct you to either iTunes or Amazon. It won’t cost you any more to go through the venue and you will be helping their revenue. Myspace has links to iTunes and you can listen to tracks on Myspace click here 

Now, if you’re confused about all these new reading devices available, you’re not the only one. Lots of people are, and rightfully so. There are so many different ways of reading a book. These devices have their advantages and disadvantages. One of the reasons ebooks have failed miserable in the past is people would get a “CRT headache” which is caused by the light from the older tube screens. Another reason was that people didn’t like carrying their computers around everywhere just to read a book, though attitudes have changed about that, and today there are an enormous amount of portable devices such as Palm Pilots, iPods, PDAs, and Blackberrys. That doesn’t include the new reading devices which are designed to be less bright and much more pleasing on the eyes. People who read books for enjoyment want to be more relaxed when reading, the brighter screens don’t always accomplish that. So came the Kindle from Amazon which debuted a couple of years ago. The screen looked more like the paper of a book and the device was thin, lightweight, and shaped like a book which made it much more portable and better to sit in a chair or lie in bed and read. The device quickly became a best seller. Since then Sony has introduced the Sony and reader and Barnes and Noble has introduced the Nook. First I will discuss the devices and some of the stores that will carry Definitions. Another advantage is that you have several books at your fingertips without carrying a lot of different books around. The text can be made larger for people who have trouble reading smaller print. The biggest advantage is the price. There is no printing involved, no shipping, and is much more cost effective for the seller. Due to that it is much cheaper. Definitions is $4.00 less in all ebook forms than print. Another example is the new book “Game Change” which is 50% less on Kindle and Nook than in print copy. With all its advantages, there are disadvantages. Ebook devices use power which requires more electricity and if you are in a place where you don’t have access to electricity and your battery runs out, you can’t read. The most glaring problem is that ebooks don’t have page numbers and pages don’t work like a traditional book does which makes it hard to find things in a book especially text books. Older versions of ereaders wouldn’t let you highlight or make notes in the book but the newer versions do. One other problem is comparability. For example you can buy a Kindle but can’t download books from Barnes and Noble, or a Nook but can’t buy books from Amazon. Although the wholesale sites and indie retailers offer the ability to download for whichever device you have. Below I will list some of the devices and stores which you can purchase Definitions. You can still purchase a print copy of Definitions at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and several indie bookstores. At each of my signings I will have information on how to purchase an ebook version or you will be able to purchase a print copy. Along with the new ebook versions of Definitions I have revised the print version as well and offering a few new poems in the book. To purchase the paperback version click here

 

Amazon Kindle has two models, the Kindle and Kindle DX. The Kindle costs $259.00 and has a 6” screen. This Kindle is a little lighter than the DX which has a 9.7” screen The Kindle DX costs $489.00. The DX screen will rotate to the side to read sideways while the regular Kindle will not. The DX also has twice the memory as the original Kindle. The Kindle works on wireless system so you do not need to connect it to a PC. You can download books from wherever there is coverage via Whispernet service which is a wireless system. The system is widely available throughout North America and Europe. See Amazon.com for a coverage map. There is no fee for the service. In addition to books you can download your favorite newspapers, magazines and blogs. Kindle books can be downloaded to your PC or iPod as well. It will be available for mac, Blackberry, and PDA soon. The PC and iPod versions are free. To get Kindle on iPod or iPhone go to the ap store search Amazon Kindle and download the ap. Once the ap is downloaded you can go to the Kindle store right from your iPod and purchase the book. The ap is free. You can’t view Newspapers and magazines on the iPod and PC versions though. To get the PC version click here. To purchase a Kindle click here. You may purchase Definitions on Kindle here.

Barnes and Noble Nook is the new device from Barnes and Noble. It is similar to the Kindle, but Barnes and Noble offers some different services and the Nook offers quite a few more features. The Nook is priced at $259.00. The Nook is a touch screen device and the keyboard is on the screen. The nook follows the At&T network and also works on Wifi. The Nook also offers an expanded memory slot for an SD card. The other big feature Nook offers is that you can go to any Barnes and Noble and read any book for free. The Nook will also let you lend books to a friend although they will only have a week to read the book. Barnes and Noble eReader is free. You can download for PC, Mac, iPod, or Blackberry. To download on iPod/iPhone go to the ap store search for Barnes and Noble and download the ap. After it is installed you will be able to shop on Barnes and Noble. To get eReader on Blackberry simply go to Barnes and Noble on the Blackberry’s browser and it will give you the option to download the ap. After it is installed you will be able to browse the store. To Purchase Nook click here or you can go to any Barnes and Noble location and purchase one. To download the PC eReader click here. At the time of this writing Definitions is not yet available in ebook for from Barnes and Noble, but will be in the future. You can download the book for Nook at some indie bookstores and at Smashword, which I will post below.

 

Sony Reader is independent of any store and you can download books from several different stores as well as purchase the Sony Reader at many different retail stores including Walmart, Target, Sears, Negg, Amazon, Overstock.com and the Sony store. Prices range from $269 to $300 and you can purchase used Sony Readers. The Sony Reader is a touch screen with and expansion slot for both an SD card and memory stick. The The screen size is 6”. It comes with a stylest so you can highlight words and even comes with a built in Oxford dictionary. The Sony Reader is by far the most versatile out of the three major devices given that you can download from so many different retailers and it supports several different formats of ebook. It also comes in several different colors. The Sony Reader has been the choice of the indie bookstores, because Sony is not tied to one outlet like Kindle and Nook. Though distributors usually have them in every format. Sony does have a store and you can download public domain books from Google books. The Reader, like its competitors, has the ability to download newspapers and magazines. Sony has a free PC and mac version of its reader where you can download books and read them on you PC also. Definitions will be available on the Sony store soon.

 

Ipod has many different ways of reading eBooks. Amazon and Barnes and Noble both have reader versions for iPod. Stanza reader was developed for iPhone, but also has versions for mac and PC. Stanza is a free reader which you can get from iTunes ap store. To download Stanza PC version or mac click here. With Stanza you can go to several different retailers to purchase ebooks. Books on Board, Fictionwise, O’Reilly Books, All Romance, and Smashwords. Definitions is available on Smashwords for $8.99.

 

PDAs, Palm Pilots, and other portable devices are capable of downloading books too. They are capable but not widely available due to the popularity of iPod and other reader devices. Smashwords has a Palm document format which you can download a copy of Definitions. Blackberrys are capable of downloading the book at certain stores.

 

Smashwords is an ebook store that sells Definitions in every format above. If you have a Nook, Kindle, Sony Reader, iPod with Stanza etc. Many indie bookstores use Smashwords to distribute ebooks and any who do so have Definitions available. To get Definitions from Smashwords click here. Nook and Stanza users download the epub files, Kindle users download the .mobi file. Sony Reader users download the LRF file. If you go to this site an any one of these readers it will automatically download the correct file, you won’t need to choose a file.

Hopefully this has enlightened you to what’s available and a print version of the book and a CD version of the album are still available. One of the nice ideas that has come along is an eLibrary which you can sign out books for a week or so and they are removed off your device after a you order another book. There is a subscription fee for this service. No word on prices for this service but it is in the works.

How did Santa Claus become part of Christmas? We all know the tradition of the wise men that brought gifts to the baby Jesus, but who is Santa Claus, and where did this story come from? Is he real? Santa Claus came from the patron Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas has a rich history as part of western culture and the his fame ties into the story of giving which goes with the spirit of Christmas.

 Free Download from Amazon.com

Saint Nicolas was born in Patara, a village in Lycia (modern day Turkey) in the third century. He was born to a wealthy family that it is said owned a fleet of fishing vessels. After his parents died he was left with the inheritance from their business.

Nicholas was a devout Christian like his parents and was made the bishop of Myra. He was a priest during the years of Christian persecution from 284 to 311 when Galerius, the Eastern Roman emperor, created a general edict of toleration for Christians.

During his time as a priest and later a bishop, Nicholas was known for his great generosity to the poor, children, and one who came to the defense of those that have been falsely accused of crimes. He often intervened in their executions. He is know as the patron saint of sailors and travelers, probably due to his experience as a fisherman.

One of his greatest deeds was how he would give a dowry (in the ancient world; money or property a woman brings to a marriage) to young women so that they could be married. Without a dowry it was unlikely a woman would be married and was usually sold into slavery. As the story goes the daughter of a poor man found a bag of gold in shoes left by the fire left to dry. The gold was tossed through the window and landed in a stocking. This is where the tradition of hanging stockings came from. Saint Nicholas is named in many stories of his great generosity to the poor.

So we know of Saint Nicholas the saint, how did the story of Santa Claus come about? When the Puritans came to America, they had a dim view of saints and therefore the legend of Saint Nicholas was forgotten. In the early 19th century The legacy of Saint Nicholas was starting to gain more popularity. On December 6, 1810, The New York Historical Society held its first St. Nicholas anniversary dinner. John Pintard commissioned artist Alexander Anderson to create the first American image of Nicholas for the occasion. Nicholas was shown in a gift-giving role with children’s treats in stockings hanging at a fireplace. In 1823 The Santa Claus legend was born. A poem by Clement Clark Moore titled ” A visit from St. Nicholas” today the poem is known as “Twas the night before Christmas”. The poem was written as a gift to his children and as we know today has become a part of western culture today. The poem is a story of a jolly elf from comes on the rooftop to deliver presents to children. Santa Claus rides a sleigh driven by reindeer. Other writers and artists through the years have changed the story.

This wonderful story of Santa Claus came from the great saint loved by both rich and poor for his kindness and generosity. Though not celebrated in the US and Canada, Saint Nicholas day is celebrated on December 6th in countries throughout Europe. Though St. Nicholas was originally buried in Myra, seamen brought his remains to Bari, Italy in 1087. A church was built on his new burial site. This is were his remains still are today. Many flock there to honor his great generosity and love of children, the poor, and the falsely accused.

Santa Claus was made famous by many artists and songs through the years. Including the iconic painting of Santa Claus drinking a Coca-Cola. In 1848 a drawing of Santa Claus by T.C. Boyd was made as a cover for the poem ” A Visit from St. Nicholas”. Norman Rockwell also painted a picture of Santa Claus reading the Saturday Evening Post. Probably the most know song is Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Many stories have been written about Santa Claus and St. Nicholas. Some modern stories include 3 movies titled “The Santa Clause” starring Tim Allen. Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer is a story of a teased reindeer that saved Christmas with his shinny red nose.

My 10 cents of wisdom

Saint Nicholas was a great man. Think of what it meant to those young women back in his time to be destine to be a slave one day, then mysteriously with a dowry they would be able to marry and live the life of a wife instead of a slave. I think the greatest thing that Saint Nicholas has given all of us is the lesson of what it means to give with nothing in return.

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
by Clement Clarke Moore

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes — how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.”

Clement Clark Moore, the author, was the professor of biblical languages at the Episcopal Seminary in New York.

Merry Christmas to everyone.

 

 

Do you Love poetry? Check out this release  by Timothy House, the author of this blog. Tim takes you on a ride of emotions from deep love poetry to dark vengance. The powerful vision of the poetry is backed up by sound effects and music. This is not your typical boring poetry CD but is is alive with passion and drive.

     

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite bands is Dream Theater, whose new album Black Clouds and Silver Linings came out a couple of weeks ago. Naturally, I was greatly anticipating another great album from this band and from the moment I popped in the CD and heard the first powerful chord I was hooked. 

Dream Theater is not just another metal band, this band uses their incredible technical ability and vast understanding of musical style to create one of the most exciting rock songs you will ever hear. Tie together some of the best lyrics which will take you on a ride like any great short story would. They are more than just lyrics, they are indeed stories. The band writes their music as if they were classical composers time warped into the 21^st century and writing rock music. Their understanding of musical form and theory is evident in their writing and performance. Their influences include Pink Floyd and Rush which are also evident in their music. Like Rush and Pink Floyd the band also has amazing visual art on their album covers making Dream Theater the complete package for those who enjoy many forms of art, from their lyrics, to the music to the artwork. 

Black Clouds and Silver Linings is the latest and 10^th studio album for the band in a span of 20 years (since When Dream and Day Unite was released in 1989). The album entered the charts as #6 on the overall Billboard Charts and #2 in rock. This album is yet another ingenious album filled with incredible performance and technical skill. Though that is expected in any Dream Theater CD. From the beginning it will grab you with a powerful and mystical chord (with keyboard and choir) setting the mood for the first song:

1. A Nightmare to remember. An 18 minute song which speaks of a traffic accident nearly taking the life of a young man and his experience laying on a table in “beautiful agony”

2. A Rite of Passage takes you into the world of the mystical origination known as the Masons. More mystical chords set the tone along with the back-up vocals in a rough voice echoing the lead singers lyrics.The song features some great rhythm between the bass and drums as well. You can check this one out on their Myspace page

3. Whither slows down a bit. It features some deep harmonies in the chorus and the song speaks of reflecting on oneself and not liking what you see and so becoming depressed and losing self-confidence.

4. The Shattered Fortress picks it up again with more heavy rhythm and the guitar and keyboard join in on the fun. It will soon take you down a ride in memory lane incorporating songs from albums past such as Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, Systematic Chaos and Octivarium

5. The Best of Times starts off with a beautiful piano melody, followed by a violin with piano, then a acoustic guitar melody. The song appears to be a soft ballad about youth remembered. It is just a lovely intro which soon turns into a bright anthem with guitar riffs and bright chords from the keyboards. The lyrics hail of great adventure of youth. This one is my favorite of the entire CD, I love the intro, the storyline and the guitar riffs.

6. The Count of Tuscany. As you listen to some soothing guitars (acoustic and electric), prepare yourself for the wild adventure you will soon partake. Soon you meet the the eccentric Count of Tuscany, be prepared to be taken on a riveting ride by both the music and the story. The band members all show the technical ability on this song as well.

 

A little history:

The band was formed in 1985 and was originally called Majesty, but was changed to Dream Theater after another band named Majesty threatened legal action. Four years and a new lead singer later the band released their first album When Dream and Day Unite. Charlie Dominici the lead singer, was fired and the it would be two years until the band found a new singer which is the current singer James LaBrie. In 1992 they released their second album and first with LaBrie Images and Words. The new album set the metal world on fire, especially the single Pull me Under, which rose to the top of the top of charts and left a lot of jaws open with the incredible guitar work. The album was filled with incredible songs and it was clear the entire band was incredibly talented. Kenny G also made an appearance on the album on Another Day. The Album is still the most successful one for the band. It went platinum in Japan and gold in the US.

 

After a tour supporting Images and Words the band returned to the studio in 1994 and released Awake the fall of that year. The album would feature some more psychedelic lyrics and a heaver sound along with some deep keyboard sounds. The album was received with much less fanfare than Images and Words. The next album Change of Seasons would come out a year later and would feature songs from the bands that they liked when they were younger recorded live. Songs from Queen, Journey, Genesis, Deep Purple and others were performed. Along with live covers was the song Change of Seasons which was a life story of an individual going through the seasons of life. As each season changed so did the style of the music—as only Dream Theater can do. The style changed to a jazz style to Spanish guitar solo, to keyboard solo etc. The changing of musical styles, melodies and solos are a wild ride just as life is.

 

The band returned to the studio to record Falling to Infinity and released the album in 1997. The album was a disappointment to critics and some fans though I consider Trial of Tears to be one of their greatest songs. The album featured some great guitar and keyboard solos. Other than Trial of Tears the album seemed a little bit more mainstream than the usual blow your mind incredible technical work. In 1999 the group would release its fifth album of the decade Scenes from a Memory, a story of a ghost of a young child who was murdered and tells “Nicolas” of her story. This album showcased the storytelling of their lyrics with the entire album centered around and progressing with the story. They went out on tour and theatrics were part of the show. The band released a DVD of a show in New York titled “Scenes from New York”.

The Next Album Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence was released in 2002. This album was a two CD set. The first CD had five songs and the second CD had one 42 minute song with eight parts to it. The song starts with a grand overture leading into the story of ordinary people who are stricken with mental illness. The CD shows again the incredible ability of the band and ends with a finale that inspires us to rally around those we care for who have been stricken by mental illness rather than be ashamed of them. The first CD features more psychedelic lyrics and typical Dream Theater technique. This album was received much better than some of the previous albums and debuted no. 1 on the online Billboard charts. The band would go on tour to support the CD and record a live CD titled Live at the Budokan at Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo.

 

In 2005 the Band released Octivarium, an album which I consider their greatest. The CD ends with the 9-11 tribute Sacrificed Sons and my favorite song Octivarium, which has an incredible keyboard solo along with some use of flute and ending with the sounds of french horns. The ending of Octivarium is the same as the beginning of the first song on the CD The Root of all Evil, a single C note the lowest note on the piano. The band would next release a 20^th anniversary live album in 2006 then return to the studio after a long tour to produce Systematic Chaos, Which had a Vampire theme to it. Especially on the song Forsaken. The album was released on June 5 2007. This album featured much heavier guitar work, though on Forsaken there is a pretty piano intro and melody. The Band released a greatest hits album in 2008 titled Greatest hit and 21 other pretty cool songs The one hit was Pull Me Under from Images and Words They would also release another live album Chaos in Motion that year.

 

Time for me to Drop a Dime:

Dream Theater has influenced me both musically and as a writer. I often listen listen to music as I write and listened to Images and Words as I wrote one of my latest poems dedicated to another person who influenced me greatly as a musician and writer. Their music has helped me pull emotions that I need to write.

 

If you like quick 2 minute pop songs (nothing wrong with that), then Dream Theater is not for you, their music is complex and they have often been dubbed a band’s band. Their music is deep and very complex most people won’t get them unless you are truly possessed by the love of music. And God help you if you are! I know I am.

 

I’m loving this CD just like every other one of theirs.

 

The five member band includes: John Petrucci (Guitar) Mike Portnoy (drums) Jordan Rudess (keyboards) James LaBrie (Vocals) John Myung (bass)

 

Links

Dream Theater’s website

Dream Theater’s Myspace

Here we are in 2009, twenty five years after the first Macintosh hit the market for purchase. It seems unimaginable in the life we live today to be without a computer. Not only do we use computers, but digital media players, digital cameras and a slew of other devices. All of which can interface with the computer. Email, forums, bill paying, reading news, reading books, watching videos, social interaction etc have become a daily occurrence for us. Thanks to Blackberrys, iPhones and other PDAs we have our “mini-computers” always with us. To keep in touch, keep our appointments strait and so on.

There once was a time when there were no personal computers, no PDAs! How did they live? Somebody once said, “What would anyone do with a personal computer?” Well, 25 years later you have an answer.
It started with the Apple II; the first personal computer on the market. The Apple II was the child of the Apple I, which was the Apple prototype personal computer developed by Steve Jobs in his garage. The processor speed was a mere 1mhz, a fraction of what is available today.

In 1983 Apple made another giant leap introducing the first GUI (graphical user interface) computer. The computer was named Lisa. Instead of using text, Lisa used pictures known as icons and folders to load files. It made it much easier for users to identify with rather than having to learn how to enter complex lines to pull up files. It was easy just click on the folder. Lisa also boasted a 5 mhz processor. At a hefty price of nearly $10,000.00 was too much; it was a commercial bust.

Next came the Macintosh. The Mac was priced much lower and had a built-in monitor along with a built-in 3.5″ disk drive and mouse. The Mac also used GUI. The Mac turned out to be a huge success helped by the commercial ran during Superbowl XVIII. The commercial showed of what was to come referring to the GUI which still wasn’t well known yet. It mirror the geopolitical climate of the time with the US and Soviet Union in the midst of a cold war.The Mac’s price tag was a 1/4 of Lisa’s and the MAC had an 8mhz processor along with 128k of RAM.

While the Mac had came along and made a splash, their competitor Microsoft  was getting into the GUI race too. At the same Time Steve Jobs was in a battle with Apple management and soon after left the company in 1985. During his absence, the company would struggle. Before leaving, Jobs developed the first laser printer and Adobe developed the first desktop publisher. In 1987 Apple introduced the Apple II, which had twice the processor speed as its predecessor at 16mhz. The Mac II also had a color video card. In 1989 Apple introduced its first laptop, the Macintosh portable. The laptop was a flop. It was hardly portable and with a huge price tag of $6500.00 was considered a joke.

The 90s began the dark days for Apple. The innovative giant saw flop after flop and with the emergence of Microsoft Windows, failed to compete. Apple didn’t run popular Microsoft software and third party developers went with the more compatible IBM systems other computer manufactures switched to. Apple Introduced a new laptop in 1991 called the Power Book 100. The Power Book was seen as lackluster, but was received fairly well. It had a 16mhz processor, the same as the Macintosh portable, but no floppy drive. The Quadra 700, Apple’s first tower model offered a vast improvement in speed for the time at 25mhz. Along with the speed came a $6000.00 price tag. 1993 brought the first Mac to have a color monitor. The new color Mac took the same shape as the original Mac. The color Mac had a 16 mhz processor.

1996 brought the return of Steve Jobs and the beginning of the new Apple revolution.
Jobs was about to introduce what he had envisioned for Apple nearly 20 years earlier when he began working on the Apple I. When he returned to Apple, Jobs had to pull the company from the grave. It had dropped to 3% of market share. The first big thing was the introduction of the iMac. The iMac was a cool design with all-in-one unit. The iMac offered a jump in processor speed at 233 MHz. The iMac was a huge success. In 1999 Apple introduced the Power Macintosh G3, also with a futuristic design and 300 MHz processor. Apple introduced the iBook in 1999 with a candy color look and 300 MHz processor. The three new offerings were huge successes. It brought Apple out of the dark age, but it was just a small sample of what was yet to come. Jobs had envisioned computers being part of everyday life, playing music, video and pictures. That vision had already partly become a reality, but soon Apple would move on innovative products that would interface with computers.

As the new millennium came Apple branched out to digital music players developing the Apple iPod. Apple was not the first company to invent to digital music player, but they saw players on the market as clumsy, oversized and ugly. Apple would use the same futuristic design concept as the iMac and they would reduce the size allowing the owner to put the player in their pocket. The other huge jump was the capacity. The iPod had 5 and 10 GB of memory. The software was simple and the device responded quickly to commands. The iPod was released October 2001 and was a huge success surpassing everyone’s expectations. Apple also introduced a new Power Book that year which had a 400 MHz processor.

In 2002 Apple had another huge jump in technology with the introduction of iMac G4 and the Power Macintosh G5. The new iMac was redesigned again and came with a flat screen monitor. It had an 800MHz processor. The Power Macintosh came with a high price tag and plenty of punch. It sold for $2599.00 and had 1.6 GHz processor.  The G5 was the first Apple model to use the aluminum case. Apple also introduced the Generation 2 iPod which had up to 20 gigabytes of memory.

2004 brought the iPod mini and the iPod photo. The iPod mini was a fraction of the size, but had much less memory at 4 GB. The iPod Photo was the first digital music player to display photos. It supported JPG, BMP,GIF, TIFF and PNG formats. The iPod Photo had  30 and 60 GB models.

2005 brought  yet another movement in technology. Apple offered three new players that year.  The Nano was like the mini, but Apple dubbed the device as nearly indestructible; dropping it out of cars and running it over after it had been dropped. The Nano had 4GB of Memory. The other big introduction was the iPod Video, which was capable of playing video, viewing pictures, playing video games and playing music. The iPods carry a large price tag and Apple was being undercut by cheaper brands. Apple introduced the iPod shuffle to counter this. The shuffle only had 1 GB of memory, but it was priced much less than the other models.

2007 was one of the biggest years for Apple in innovation. The iPod had been a huge success and there were more great devices to come. The iPod got better, as it did every year. The original iPod was 80 or 160 GB of memory. The Nano now could do all the same functions that the regular iPod could, but much smaller. The new addition to the family was the iPod touch. The iPod Touch had even more functionality. The screen was GUI and also used other applications. The iPod touch was a lot like a PDA. The device had email, Safari web browser, maps and much more. The iPod touch led to another huge seller for Apple; the iPhone. The iPhone was much better than other PDA phones. It had a better browser than the BlackBerry. Apple also introduced the Mac Pro to replace the Power Mac. The Mac Pro offers 2.8GHz processor speed and 8 core processor and two optical drives. Apple wasn’t done yet! in 2008 they introduced the Air Mac; the thinnest laptop at less than 1 inch. It has a 2.8GHz processor and retails for $2000.00. Apple still offers the iMac. Today’s version has a 2.4 GHz processor. Apple has been viewed as not versatile enough. It didn’t run Microsoft applications and it isn’t compatible with anything. Today’s Apple is more compatible and can even run Window’s office with a much more stable system than Windows. Apple continues to make their product better implementing a new software similar to system restore, but Apple’s program allows you to select specific files. It’s amazing how far we’ve come since those days of the first MAC. There were people who there was no use for a GUI system, just like those people that said there was no use for a personal computer. Apple has been at the front of the technology push since those days of the Apple one and they are now at the front of the line today with the cell phone and digital media device technology today. Happy Birthday Mac