It was an idyllic southern California night complete with a burning orange and red sunset, gentle breeze swaying postcard palm trees and John Hiatt with North Mississippi Allstars (NMAS) tearing up the stage at Humphrey's By The Bay in San Diego. Toward the end of his 90-minute set Hiatt said "the weathermen said it was going to rain...I guess they were wrong like they always are," before ripping into his rocking set closing number The Tiki Bar Is Open where the synergy of Hiatt's 30+ years performing experience combined with the youthful energy of NMAS driving rhythm section brought the crowd to their feet. It's summertime in SoCal.
The rain actually came the night before clearing the air and washing away any doubt of bad weather reinforcing once more that Humphrey's By The Sea is perhaps the quintessential intimate California outdoor live music venue. And judging by Hiatt's perpetual smile and ubiquitous dose of facial expressions and grimaces, he was there not only to entertain the almost sold-out show but to have serious fun.
To be sure, this is not the first Hiatt show I've attended. A couple years ago he did an interesting mini-tour with peer singer-songwriter guitarists Joe Ely, Guy Clark and Lyle Lovett. And just before recording his latest release, Master of Disaster, he performed a solo acoustic show where he tested some songs off the new album at the venerable Coach House in San Juan Capistrano - you can read my review of that show here.
Humphrey's By The Bay on San Diego's Shelter Island is a waterfront hotel, gourmet restaurant and outdoor theatre. In the early 80's it started what was then a summer smooth jazz concert series. Besides Hiatt, the 1300-seat outdoor theater, now in its 25th year and thanks to California's endless summer sees more than 80 nights of music and comedy this year including Boz Scaggs, Lyle Lovett, India Arie, Blues Traveler, Queensryche and Emmy Lou Harris -- a wonderfully diverse and more interesting lineup than the smooth jazz Humprey's started with years ago.
Tonight's show opened up with a short electric set by the North Mississippi Allstars, Hiatt's supporting band featuring Luther and Cody Dickinson on guitar and drums and Chris Chew on bass. The Dickinson brothers are sons of legendary Memphis record producer Jim Dickinson=. Ironic enough, the elder Dickinson produced Hiatt's 21st album Master of Disaster which this tour is featuring and promoting.
I was unfamiliar with the three-time nominated North Mississippi Allstars prior to attending this concert and based on reports from other dates on Hiatt's tour I expected an acoustic bluesy rock set from the up and coming NMAS. Instead, the youthful band delivered a mix of rhythm and blues and rock providing the perfect soundtrack to the setting sun. The set featured drummer Cody Dickinson playing his funky washboard to the driving beat of Chew's bass and brother Luther and helper on drums -- the most unique washboard solo I've ever heard. Luther Dickinson's slide guitar work was also a surprise but his vocals were lost in the mix and lacked punch and soul -- perhaps he's shy and not comfortable fronting the larger venue. And his lack of audience eye contact wasn't helped by the flap of hair hanging in his face. But judging from the sound and audience reaction this band is one to watch as they grow together -- and I'm sure several months on the road with legend and performing mentor John Hiatt will will help blend confidence and experience making for a tasty future for the Hernando, Mississippi trio.
Commanding the stage after a short 15-minute intermission Hiatt delivered the goods throughout a 16 song set that blended songs from his latest release with a handful of amped-up versions of Hiatt classics proving that the 54-year old performer not only still has the song-writing chops but has the guts and energy to inject new life into his timeless songs. And keeping them timely is something Hiatt does best. During a rock n' roll driving version of his Memphis In The Meantime from his 1987 release Bring on the Family Hiatt brought the lyrics current by replacing Ronnie Milsap with Brad Paisley:
Not ‘till hell freezes over, maybe you can wait that long,
But I don’t think Brad Paisley's ever gonna record this song
Still, sitting in the restaurant prior to the show I shared a taste of wine with the folks at the table next to me and the conversation quickly turned to John Hiatt. "When I told people I was going to see John Hiatt tonight, they all said 'Who?'", the gentleman in his early 40's said to me. And perhaps that's the good thing about John Hiatt. Though many may not know him by name, more people know his songs for Bonnie Raitt, Iggy Pop, Conway Twitty, Three Dog Night, B.B. King, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt and Eric Clapton have all covered his songs. Looking around at the handful of empty seats on the grass at Humphrey's I'm amazed that tickets for Hiatt were still available as he began his set yet Queensryche is sold out for a show two months from now.
Hiatt rock n' roll opener, the title track from his early 90's release Perfectly Good Guitar and driven by Luther Dickinson's masterful slide guitar work, set the tone for the rest of the concert: this wasn't going to be acoustic folk show playing homage to roots music. Instead, the band launched into driving versions of Buffalo River Home and Your Dad Did and then metamorphosing the normally folkie Howlin' Down The Cumberland into a rocking blues anthem. And taking the lyrics up a notch Hiatt jumped into his own take on Da Vinci code controversy lamenting the destiny and whereabouts of love and affection in Love's Not Where We Thought We Left It:
"The apostles were jealous
Of Mary Magdalene and Jesus
Said why do you love her more than us
Jesus turned back in disgust
Said why do I love her more than you
The answer is a question
Just ask yourself what can I do
To gain my lord's affection
Love's not where you thought you left it
Who took the last of love and kept it
Caged love in tried to protect it
Love's not where we thought we left it"
After the crowd raising Tiki Bar Hiatt returned to the stage sans NMAS to sing the soulful Have A Little Faith solo on the piano then brought the crowd back to their feet and singing along to Slow Turning, perhaps his only top 10 hit in his more than 30 year musical career. So while Hiatt may not sit in the mainstream, his music, songwriting, performance combined with the amazing talent he surrounds himself with means he'll always have an audience in me and the other several hundred friends that joined me last night for a California night of rock n' roll and good wine.
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I almost forgot and let the week go by without thinking about it. It's an important milestone for me. Actually this week marks two anniversaries of sorts. First it was 4 months ago this week that I broke my leg in Bolivia and had to be Medivad'd back to the states for surgery. More on how my recovery is coming along is here.
The second anniversary is that of The Digital Tavern - the blog I started on May 16, 2002. Ah, the good old days when the word blog still had a couple years before it would seep into the nomenclature of pop culture and still more than three years before nearly every major newspaper would have its own "blogs". It was arguably then Vermont governor Howard Dean who jolted blogging into the mainstream. Dean's failed 2004 presidential bid was marked by the successful use of the internet and his Blog For America / Democracy For America blog as a grass roots fundraising campaign. While on the campaign trail Dean frequently blogged about his experiences and efforts to "take back America." By the time the presidential primary race was running full steam virtually every candidate had some sort of blog. And back then I ranted a bit about how perhaps it was time to lose the word "blog".
But that's ancient history. Today blogging is taken serious and many bloggers are credited with breaking news stories, exposing corporate and political wrong-doing and for raising awareness on both sides of virtually every issue. Sure blogging has also become the next-millennium teenage diary for teenage girls and the the success of pseudo-blogging platform MySpace has taken the place of underground radio and Rolling Stone Magazine as a way for musical artists to break new music to fans worldwide.
In 2003 I reflected about the artistry of blogging and why blog. It's interesting to read these three years later.
So rather than write another post about why blogging and what's it for, I invite you to take a trip back and re-read some of those old posts that I've linked to on this page. Meanwhile, I've been four years blogging and four years using what back then was the premier and arguably "first" blogging platform Radio. Today Radio is a fraction of what it used to be and while I've complained and lamented the possibility of moving to something new, I've actually started making progress. For those of you who know my WorldRider blog you'll remember I chose not to use Radio but went with Movable Type and host the blog myself. Migrating The Digital Tavern to a new platform is taking a lot of work. I'm not done yet, but some of the links here do point to my "work in progress" new home for the tavern on a WordPress blog. Later I'll "blog" about the whole experience.
Till then Happy Birthday/Anniversary to The Digital Tavern. Thanks for stopping by!
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Friday, May 19, 2006
test
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Seems Doc is intrigued by the latest Palm Treo SmartPhone announcement. That is until he discovered the new Treo 700 would only be offered on the Verizon and Sprint Networks. Back in the day Verizon and Sprint were the only carriers pushing the CDMA standard -- something I believe San Diego-based Qualcomm developed while the rest of the world was paving the cellular highway with GSM technology. I blew off Verizon more than 5 years ago. Why? The worst customer service and the lack of compatibility outside the "walled garden" of Verizon's neighborhood.
After a short stint with Nextel I moved to T-Mobile. Not that I'm a German sympathizer (Deutsche Telecom owns T-Mobile) but they offered the best value and they were early adopters in building WiFi networks (Starbucks). Plus, I could by any GSM phone and not be restricted by the petty offerings the carrier sold. Instead, I jumped in head first and bought a Symbian-based Sony Ericsson Smartphone - the P900. After I beat the crap out of that phone I moved to its successor the P910i. This phone offered unmatched international capability meaning I could use it on GSM networks in Central and South America, Asia and Europe. Sure, I'd pay out the nose for access. Or, I could simply by GSM chips as I traveled. But because these phones are rather pricey, the carrier doesn't offer it. However you can buy it directly from SonyEriicsson or any number of independent resellers.
Here in the USA the GSM phone offered adequate GPRS capability and with the 910i push-email. Combine that with compatibility to read PDF, MS Office and other ubiquitous files I had no reason to go back to the lame Palm OS I abandoned with my Verizon Kyocera Palm-based Smartphone in 2002. Good bye. There's no reason to be carrying a Windows CE device nor an antiquated OS like Palm. The Symbian OS is open source and the Sony Ericsson syncs seamlessly with Mac OS X 10.4.x. What more could I ask. Or could Doc for that matter?
Now I'm waiting for the new Sony Ericsson P990. Though they've compromised some "power user" features on the new phone, the addition of more memory, WiFi and more means I'll probably have to indulge.
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Remember midnight movies? I'm not talking about "Rocky Horror Picture Show," but rather those classic late nights of my well-spent youth watching rock and roll icons on the big screen. It was a ritual for me and my high-school buddies to stay up and see live concert films of arguably the best rock and roll bands of the era including Led Zeppelin, Yes, ELP, Pink Floyd and others. So when a buddy pointed me to a site promoting a "Big Screen Concert" for "One Night Only" of David Gilmour "The Guitar and Voice of Pink Floyd," my mind drifted back to those late nights.
So I was especially excited to hear that Gilmour's new CD "On An Island" and footage from his recent 10-week North American and European tour would be shown at movie theaters nationwide as part of Regal Cinemas and Big Screen Concerts "One Night Only" program. Because unfortunately when Gilmour announced he'd play two nights in Los Angeles, I was busy breaking my leg in Bolivia while riding my motorcycle around South America. Notwithstanding, several friends had tried to secure tickets to no avail. By the time I was recuperating stateside greedy e-Bayers were hawking tix to the show at hefty sums of $200 or more. I passed.
For those who know me, missing a performance by any Pink Floyd member takes serious discipline and would ultimately result in withdrawals and anxiety. For I've traveled to Berlin, Budapest, Quebec City and more to see Roger Waters and haven't missed David Gilmour or his version of Pink Floyd seeing him several times since his last small venue solo tour 20 years ago and his seemingly endless barrage of stadium shows over the last 20 years touring with Pink Fraud. But here he is now stripped of the name that filled stadiums and his pockets once again on the road playing small intimate theaters.
When the reviews started rolling in I felt nauseated and queazy == they were glowing -- Gilmour could do no wrong. As the adage goes, I only regret those things in life I chose not to do. Alas.
[...] a stunning rendition of 1971's 20-plus minute "Echoes,'' in which Gilmour and Wright traded lines on organ and guitar, bringing the band from a delicate whisper to hurricane strength several times. Gilmour treated this song like a fine wine, letting it air out, and keeping it true to its psychedelic roots, a wonderful mix of darkness and light [...] "Comfortably Numb,'' on which Gilmour, on a black stage, silhouetted in front of a white spotlight, reeled off a solo that made colors spin around the room. Then, one of the few rock artists who understands the importance of larger than life visuals, he let lasers paint the room too, using literal smoke and mirrors to create piercing three dimensional triangles and pulsing waves. [...] Gilmour proved to be a classic rock artist who still has a lot to say, and the discipline to make his older material sound new again. -- The San Jose Mercury News
[...] there was indeed the sense that we were getting a rare glimpse of one of a half-dozen or fewer true guitar giants left roaming the land. It's undeniable that, post-Waters, Gilmour hasn't really found a worthy bed for his skills. But even on lesser material, arguably, no other ax-slinger in rock did or does combine proficiency, soulfulness, emotiveness, and the very rare quality of economy as deftly. Who's gonna fill his shoes? John Mayer? Jack White? We get uncomfortably numb just thinking about it [...] - Entertainment Weekly
With my anticipation and expectations reaching new heights, I followed the link at Big Screen Concerts and punched in my AMEX Card number and promptly reserved my seat.
For one night on May 16, 2006 the Gilmour film would play in two Regal Cinema theaters in San Diego. I chose the UA theaters in downtown San Diego's kitsch Horton Plaza. This choice however was marred by either Regal's or Big Screen Concerts decision to show the 75 minute film in a theatre marred with poor sound quality and a distracting and irritating rectangular blue halo seemingly over-projected onto the film -- a far cry from the high-def and surround sound some sources promised. I hope and imagine that anyone attending one of the other 101 screenings across the country last night saw the film in its proper glory.
The film opens with Gilmour discussing his early 1900's houseboat, Astoria, which he has meticulously converted into a first-class, high-tech recording studio and where much of Gilmour's recent CD "On An Island" was recorded. The film cuts between Gilmour interviewed on a well worn leather sofa in the boats office and footage shot during the recording of "On An Island" on the boat and in Abbey Road Studios where additional space was required to record a full orchestra.
Gilmour candidly tells us that he was due to record a new album as he hadn't "recorded a proper album" in more than ten years, and to get it done he needed prodding from fellow and ex-Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera who also served as his co-producer on the album. He further admits that when it comes to lyrics he is strained and finds it very difficult. And while his wife Polly pens most of the simple and lacking lyrics of "On An Island" the album suffers from the same lack of angst, energy and creativity that plagued each of the post-Waters Floyd efforts "Momentary Lapse of Reason" and "Division Bell." To be fair, where all three records lack lyrically is mostly equalized by phenomenal trademark Gilmour melodies and guitar work.
As Gilmour discusses the recording of his new CD we sneak through his floating studio while Gilmour lazily sings while aging hipsters Graham Nash and an ill-looking David Crosby harmonize during the recording of "On An Island". The studio footage and interview are short and sweet but unfortunately marred by the UA theater's poor sound system. What did he say?
Soon we're slowly zooming into the stage at the 600 seat Mermaid Theatre in London while Gilmour, bathed and silhouetted in swath of white light, starts to play the opening notes of Castellorizon in what is the first ever live performance of "On An Island" -- a day after Gilmour's 60th birthday and the official worldwide release of "On An Island". Joined on stage by legendary Floyd keyboard player Richard Wright, guitarist Phil Manzanera, multi-instrumentalist Jon Carin, Steve DiStanislao on drums, Guy Pratt on bass and the infamous Dick Parry whose soulful and energetic sax work is heard on classic Floyd albums "Dark Side of the Moon" and "Wish You Were Here". Gilmour tells the sold-out crowd he'll play a few tunes from the new album and then some "oldies but goodies."
Gilmour then takes us through a melodic and guitar-infused journey through "On An Island", "The Blue", "Take A Breath" and a soulful and heart-wrenching rendition of perhaps "Island's" best cut, "Smile". It's then that the crowd shows life and emotion through it's gentle British-like applause as Gilmour plays the notes all too familiar with fans from "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." Playing the wonderful instrumental portion of the song with the power of the full band, Gilmour takes the lead sans band when slowly and assuredly steps up to the microphone and sings "Remember When You Were Young?" while taking us on on a new charted and unadulterated but minimalist version of the vocal part of this Floyd classic only to build to a magical and energetic climax and finale as Dick Parry blows his sax with more vigor and passion that perhaps he did on the record 31 years prior.
At this point in the film Gilmour tosses vocal duties to Floyd band mate Rick Wright for a lackluster vocal performance of "Division Bell's" "Wearing The Inside Out." It feels as if Rick has lost his voice, passion or desire to sing or perhaps it's just the first night's performance. Though amazingly 12 years old, Division Bell would be hardly hailed as a classic Floyd album, Gilmour's guitar performance punctuated by the staccato ringing DiStanislou's "division bell" could well be the highlight of the short film as Gilmour moves and bends his strings to a spine-tingling crescendo before gently bringing us down from his solo-infused high
Then with the opening notes of "Comfortably Numb" the audience eagerly awaits the opening lines, but when the anemic Richard Wright barely eked out "Hello? Hello? Is there anybody in there?" I squirmed uncomfortably in my theater chair feeling embarrassed for Wright who once again appeared listless and strained as he tried to sing Waters' part from Floyd's epic "The Wall". Yet once again where Wright disappointed Gilmour compensated in guitar work as he unleashed into the ubiquitous and arguably the genre-defining rock and roll guitar solo of all time. There's no question that Gilmour owns and comfortably sits on the throne of perhaps the best rock guitarist ever - and not because of speed, technical complexity or showmanship, but because he has such a command of the instrument that his seemingly effortless playing is ultimately the most soulful, melodic and powerful you'll ever hear.
I'm sorry I missed him "live."
Soon credits were rolling on the screen. I felt shorted and gipped and wanted more. The reviews I read of the tour touted Gilmour's reach into the past playing updated versions of "Echoes", "Fat Old Sun" and "Wots... Uh The Deal?" But here in San Diego at the UA Regal Cinemas in an auditorium plagued with bad sounds and defective film projection we weren't even treated to an encore. But not to worry. Maybe I can fly to Italy later this summer and catch him on the piazza in Firenze on his extended European tour. Or more practically, I can wait until the fall when I understand that Gilmour's performance at London's Royal Albert Hall later this month will be caught on camera under the direction of David Mallet who directed the 2002 David Gilmour In Concert DVD (which I reviewed here). I imagine the band will be more rehearsed, comfortable and on fire.
Very proud of my friend Brian who never ceases to amaze me with his ideas, creativity, writing and business sense. I never knew he would let those pesky plastic wall anchors that come with just about every home or office accessory that need to be mounted on a wall get the best of him. But the way I figure it, he's been frustrated for years. But rather than get a prescription from his local shrink to tame his anxiety, fear and depression from such things, he took his health and mindset into his own hands and assumed responsibility for his well being and did something about it. But jis tenacity and wanton now may help the rest of the population suffering from such "anchor anxiety". You see a few years ago solved the problem by coming up with an idea that would make hanging things on the wall (or ceiling) much easier and more secure than traditional screw anchors, toggle bolts and the slew of other devices that litter the hardware store's shelves.
For the sake of his mind and body, he set out to make a better mousetrap.
The result is the Raptor Hammer-in Wall Anchor. The key differentiator with the anchor's you've painfully hassled with in the past? Simple. You hammer it into the wall. No need to scramble to find the right drill bit. Simply pull out your rusty old hammer and nail that raptor into the wall. Once your Raptor is secure in the wall you use a wide range of screws, which unlike other hollow-wall fasteners, Raptor Anchors accept various screw sizes, including numbers 6, 8, 10, 12. Or, simply choose any of a number of the handy Raptor ZIP pins available. Choose one best for your application and push it into the anchor with your thumb. Whether you're hanging a picture frame, affixing a smoke detector to the ceiling or finally replacing those towell bars in the guest bathroom, there's a ZIP pin that'll work for you. Raptor anchors are more secure, easier to install and less messy.
I guess that's why the veritable Popular Mechanics magazine named Brian's Raptor Anchors gave them the Editor's Choice Award at the hardware industry's annual National Hardware Show last week in Las Vegas. So my hat is off to Brian and his brother Greg and I wish them good luck and success with Raptor Anchors. I'm sure this award and visibility will give a boost to their efforts to gain distribution or licensing deals in the future. That means perhaps you'll soon see them at your local Ace, TrueValue or Home Depot hardware store in the future.
Photos: The Raptor Hammer-in Wall Anchor; Greg (l) and Brian (r) Brown of Raptor.
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. . . photography.
My dad gave me my first Canon 35mm camera for my 12th birthday. In my seventh grade ubiquitous adolescent-tasked paper, that my mom still has in archives, "What do I want to be when I grow up I fancied myself a photographer. Since those free and innocent days of my youth I've owned a trunk-load of Canon camera. I've been loyal to the brand because the brand has kept its promise in delivering quality products at fair prices. Riding my motorcycle through the desert in northern Peru I dropped my Canon Powershot S70 going 40 miles per hour. Upon retrieving the scratched, dented and beat up camera I was sure I'd be in the market for a new camera. Not a chance. The Canon still clicked away with finesse, though the rubber band I used to keep the case from moving certainly didn't add to its aesthetics. Taken moments afterward the S70 still delivered great shots (this one at 60-mph or more):
Even my EOS20D took abuse as I rode thousands of miles of dirt, rock and washboard roads. A leaky top case contributed to compromising humidity -- usually a death toll for electronics. But no, the camera held its own. So I'm sticking with Canon and hope to grow my EOS system over the years.
That's why I was especially pleased to learn a couple things from Philip this morning. He has gone through the painstaking process of compiling and categorizing the complete Canon EOS system. This project was inspired perhaps by his good article on Building a Digital SLR Camera System which looks at the top 3 Digital SLR cameras in the mid to low-end price range for such gear. But as Philip explains this project was quite an undertaking.
[...] For each item, I needed the full name, the price, and the serial number on Amazon.com (so that people could click through and see reader reviews, buy the item, etc.). I estimated that it would take me 10 hours to assemble these data by clicking around at Amazon. It is a bit more involved than you’d think because for many of these items, Amazon requires you to {€œadd item to cart to see price}€ [...]
With I'm sure a heavy workload and great spring weather finally settling into the Boston area, Phil decided to enlist some help. And while I've never heard of this "outsourcing service", I think I just might have to give it a try.
[...] Anyway, I put the project up on www.rentacoder.com and a guy from Pakistan did the job in two days for $10. He made only a couple of mistakes [...]
While I've long dreamed of riding my bike along the Karakorum Highway (KKH) in northeastern Pakistan, I never dreamed that Phil (or anyone) would find a Pakistani offer to drill down the details of the Canon EOS system at such a great value. True, these propose and bid sites for independent contractors have long existed, I just hadn't thought of employing the service for such tasks. I have quite a few ideas and features I want to explore in my WorldRider blog, so I just might tap into rentacoder.com -- maybe I'll meet a Pakistani who I just might meet when I finally ride the KKH.
As for my career as a photographer I once dreamed of years ago? I'm still not grown up I guess. So I'll just keep shooting. Want to check some out? My WorldRider photoblog is still not complete. But here are some shots from the North American segment of my journey.
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So we're going to dance on the moon again. According to the Xinua news network the U.S. space agency NASA in partnership with India's Nasa-equivalent, the Indian Space Research Operation (ISRO), an Indian spacecraft will launch from India sometime in 2008 with a payload of scientific instruments but no astronauts. According to the BBC the launch is part of a two year mission to map and learn more about the moon.
"The two-year mission of Chandrayaan-I to map the lunar surface and investigate its surface properties will advance knowledge about the Moon's history and evolution, and inform future exploration decisions by characterizing the content of the lunar soil," he said. -- from the BBC
The agreement was signed in Bangalore this week and apparently it was the first visit by a NASA chief to India in 30 years. Even more, after India's nuclear tests in 1988 t the US imposed an embargo on ISRO. All that has changed in what appears to be a trend toward more and more political and scientific cooperation between India and the U.S. as just a few months ago the two countries inked a deal to permit civilian nuclear cooperation.
Earlier in 2005 the EU agreed and gave its approval to India for lunar exploration. But why is the U.S. so eager to go back to the moon after a nearly 35 year hiatus? Seems lurking in the shadows of remnants of the cold war there is newfound interest by other "world powers" to expend new found wealth on space travel and exploration. Japan wants to go. And so does China and Russia.
In Space.com Paul Spurdis a space scientist at JOhns Hopkins University Applies Physics Lab says most of these countries are flying lunar missions to "get their feet wet" in planetary exploration. He says that with the new equipment and technology more and higher quality data will be important to asses potential resources on the moon which he says will be "a critical enabler to permanent human presence."
I'm not sure if all this activity equates to a renewed Space Race. But it does signal a new era in global cooperation in scientific research and exploration of not only the moon but space, too. In March the Washington Post reported that the U.S. plans on putting a base-station on the moon as a step toward inhabiting Mars. But there are an enormous amount of questions to be answered before we can go. Perhaps most important, what will it cost? And who's paying? What's happening with the Space Shuttle?
The moon sits about 1/4 million miles away. Mars? 34 million. I'd like to go but I'm not sure my MedJetAssist medical evaluation plan will send help if I break my leg or get sick several million miles away. This goes for our astronauts too. But I'd go. And I think a global consortium to explore space is good diplomacy, step towards peace and a move in the right direction to better understand the world we all live in -- together and interdependently.
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At the end of the day do higher priced goods or services negatively impact your decision to buy? That is, would a higher price on something you desire dissuade you from purchasing it? If current gas prices are an indication of "consumers'" insatiable appetites to imbibe regardless of cost then I'd have to say no. Accordingly, any strategy that employs a price increase tactic in an effort to reduce consumption will ultimately fail.
But for the last 75 years the state of Washington figured that a fixed markup and no discounting would curb alcoholism. By taking advantage of the 21st amendment to the constitution which repealed Prohibition (the 19th amendment) and gave states control of the distribution of alcohol within its borders, Washington state has long mandated the distributors sell wine to retailers at uniform prices and at a minimum 10% markup. What's more, producers also must charge a minimum 10% markup to wholesalers. What's more, Washington also mandates that delivery of alcohol must originate from wholesaler warehouses directly to each individual retailer. For large volume and multiple location retailers this law means it cannot negotiate with wholesalers for volume discounts on beer and wine and impacts costs through inefficiencies that could be improved through centralized distribution. Washington's ludicrous liquor laws don't end there, either. For example, it mandates that wholesales charge the same price for delivery to all retailers regardless of location.
And for the country's largest wine retailer, these laws are worth fighting against. So earlier this year the Washington-based giant Costco, with its $600 million in annual wine sales filed suit against the Washington State Liquor Control Board asserting its laws restrain trade and eliminate the free market. It argued that the state's regulations were anti-competitive and in violation of the federal Sherman Antitrust Act. The Costco case is another chip in the weakening armor of arcane state liquor laws and States' rights outlined in the 21st amendment. Last year a Supreme Court decision found state liquor laws in Michigan and New York unconstitutional and therefore paved the way for wineries and producers the ability to sell and ship directly to consumers and retailers. The latter of which was originally part of the Costco suit until a U.S. District Judge found Washington's law prohibiting producer to retailer sales unconstitutional using the Supreme Court Decision as a precedent.
Last week the same judge, Marsha Pechman ruled in favor of Costco on the remaining arguments in the lawsuit. In cutting the legs out of most of the Washington Liquor Board's laws and argument she said:
"If the state desires to promote temperance by artificially increasing beer and wine prices, the state could readily achieve that goal in a manner that does not run afoul of the Sherman Act."
Ultimately, the decisions means the that the Washington State Liquor Board cannot:
Force a 10 percent markup products sold by producers and distributors
Ban volume discounts on beer and wine to retailers
Ban credit sales to retailers
Ban central/retailer warehousing of beer and wine
Mandate that beer and wine distributors and producers post and hold prices for a month
Mandate that wholesalers charge uniform prices to all retailers.
Mandate that wholesalers charge equal "delivered" pricing to all retailers, regardless of actual delivery cost.
While the judge placed a 30-day stay on her decision in order to give the defense time to consider an appeal, I don't think it will file one. As more and more of these laws are argued in front of today's judges they are finding that while the 21st Amendment gave states the right to control the distribution of alcohol, many state laws are two-faced. That is, some of the laws don't apply to in-state businesses and therefore unfairly penalize out-of-staters and this is unfairly restricting commerce under the guise of controlling the distribution of alcohol.
What's this all mean for you? If you live in Washington you soon might reap the benefit of Costco's lawsuit and find lower beer and wine prices at retailers throughout your state. Though some might complain that this law will hurt the little guy - low volume retailers and small production wineries. But let's face it, the laws weren't designed as protectionist measures -- and they shouldn't be. Producers and retailers can win customers with age old methods - quality product, customer service and a positive shopping/purchasing experience. After all, price really doesn't matter.
Does it?
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Very proud of my friend Brian who never ceases to amaze me with his ideas, creativity, writing and business sense. I never knew he would let those pesky plastic wall anchors that come with just about every home or office accessory that need to be mounted on a wall get the best of him. But the way I figure it, he's been frustrated for years. But rather than get a prescription from his local shrink to tame his anxiety, fear and depression from such things, he took his health and mindset into his own hands and assumed responsibility for his well being and did something about it. But jis tenacity and wanton now may help the rest of the population suffering from such "anchor anxiety". You see a few years ago solved the problem by coming up with an idea that would make hanging things on the wall (or ceiling) much easier and more secure than traditional screw anchors, toggle bolts and the slew of other devices that litter the hardware store's shelves.
need to scramble to find the right drill bit. Simply pull out your rusty old hammer and nail that raptor into the wall. Once your Raptor is secure in the wall you use a wide range of screws, which unlike other hollow-wall fasteners, Raptor Anchors accept various screw sizes, including numbers 6, 8, 10, 12. Or, simply choose any of a number of the handy Raptor ZIP pins available. Choose one best for your application and push it into the anchor with your thumb. Whether you're hanging a picture frame, affixing a smoke detector to the ceiling or finally replacing those towell bars in the guest bathroom, there's a ZIP pin that'll work for you. Raptor anchors are more secure, easier to install and less messy.
My dad gave me my first Canon 35mm camera for my 12th birthday. In my seventh grade ubiquitous adolescent-tasked paper, that my mom still has in archives, "What do I want to be when I grow up I fancied myself a photographer. Since those free and innocent days of my youth I've owned a trunk-load of Canon camera. I've been loyal to the brand because the brand has kept its promise in delivering quality products at fair prices. Riding my motorcycle through the desert in northern Peru 
So we're going to dance on the moon again. According to the 
In Space.com Paul Spurdis a space scientist at JOhns Hopkins University Applies Physics Lab says most of these countries are flying lunar missions to "get their feet wet" in planetary exploration. He says that with the new equipment and technology more and higher quality data will be important to asses potential resources on the moon which he says will be "a critical enabler to permanent human presence."
I'm not sure if all this activity equates to a renewed Space Race. But it does signal a new era in global cooperation in scientific research and exploration of not only the moon but space, too. In March the Washington Post 
And for the country's largest wine retailer, these laws are worth fighting against. So earlier this year the Washington-based giant Costco, with its $600 million in annual wine sales filed suit against the Washington State Liquor Control Board asserting its laws restrain trade and eliminate the free market. It argued that the state's regulations were anti-competitive and in violation of the federal 
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