Hotel Mark

This is a response to Harleyblues who did a brilliant post on Beatles videos, with blogger dedications. The Beatles music will live on forever, in many styles. Here is Peo Kindgren playing his arrangement of George Harrison’s “Something”, one of the most beautiful songs ever written in my view.

Youtube has been a revelation for the internet. Now we can find videos on demand for almost every subject. However, as the old saying goes, what goes up must come down Ever enjoyed a video and wondered why it’s no longer available?

There’s two very easy ways to download from streaming media, including youtube, yahoo  and google video. First, the more commonly used way, if you use Firefox, there is a v- download plug in available at https://addons.mozilla.org/cs/firefox/addon/4318  The page there tells you where to go to convert files to flash format if you need to.

However, a lesser known technique when using internet explorer is equally simple. The video’s actually do download anyway, it’s just that they are stored in temporary internet files, and later get deleted. So, first, clear your temporary files by going to (in IE) tools>internet options, delete files. Then close the browser. Now open it again. Go to the page on youtube (for example) and let the video play. Then go again to tools>internet options>view files, then click type.

Now, scroll down the long list of files, looking for a file which is much bigger than the others, over 1000KB in size. That type of file will actually be a flash video file, but not shown as such. It will say “getvideo” and youtube will be stated. Right click this file, select copy, then paste it into the desktop. At this point it will be unknown file type. Now hit F2 (rename) and rename the file eg. video.flv. Making sure that your computer does NOT hide file extensions. As long as you have the file name ending .flv you now have a fully downloaded flash video, which if you have file conversion you can convert to another file type if you wish to

For this video I am indebted to Per Olov Kindgren for his beautiful composition “Before Silence” he plays here. John Williams says of the guitar, “The beauty of the guitar is the dying away of the note”… This piece strikes at that very essence of the classical guitar beauty. I am pleased to welcome Peo to my site in an interview in my pages section.

Carlos Perez, from Chile, playing Variations on Sobre El Punto Guanacasteco, taken from his DVD Guitarra Clásica”. This was shared by Carlos on Youtube, reproduced here. Here is link to Carlos website; http://carlosperez.cl/ Enjoy!

If you’ve seen the film “The Mission” and perhaps became curious about the Indian tribe depicted in the film, the Guarani, who made such beautiful music…

Photo by Lakerae of flickr.

I made a page on this site about Agustin Barrios Mangore, one of the most famous descendents of the Guarani race. I have always been fascinated by the guitar works of this man, whose colourful exotic rhythms are often interspersed with romantic melodies, evoking emotions of merriment, and yearning lament.

It’s sometimes a sad thing that a number of guitar commentators seem to denigrate those who wrote for guitar, such as Sor, Guliani, Barrios, Coste, citing them as inferior composers to likes of Beethoven, Bach and Rachmaninov. This because they wrote for guitar and not much else (or nothing else) Yet, I never hear Harpsichord players denigrate Scarlatti, in the light of Bach, for example. The works of both men are there to be enjoyed.

Why then, is there this self destruct element among guitarists? Snobbery perhaps? Or is it as I suspect, WOULD be guitarists, the critics, who pick on names like Barrios, claiming that, simply because he only wrote for guitar, he is “inferior” to likes of Villa Lobos, who was prolific in orchestral terms. Perhaps it is because the solo guitar reportoire is cut off from other instruments that makes some people cynically rebuke those who wrote soley for guitar, the snide inference often being that these composers had in Segovia’s words, “not the proper training in music”.

If Segovia felt like that I sometimes wonder why he did not do more to attempt to commission the likes of Rachmaninov, Ravel, to write for guitar, instead of courting only his compatriots such as Morreno Torroba, Turina, and friends like Tedesco, Tasman for example. These symphonic composers wrote many fine additions to our reportoire, but in terms of “great composers” most will place them far below Ravel and Rachmaninov. In this way, Segovia was perhaps as “guilty” as those he accuses others of being, that is overlooking the musical greats, in favour of persuing guitaristic elements.

I think all those who made contributions deserve to be heard, and on an equal footing. I’ve heard Julian Bream play Sor right before playing Bach, and Sor was not disgraced in any way. My pages on this site is intended to celebrate the works of those who wrote for guitar, who’s dedication to the instrument created an enrichment to the reportoire, and inspired new composers to take up the pen for the instrument.

It may seem strange reviewing a book that is some years old, but this one by Stephen King has been made into a film, and right now is in the Cinema’s, and it’s an interesting one to me, in that it brings into focus the difficulties of bringing to the screen a subject that can hardly be created as well as what is in your mind. That being, unimaginable terror.

“The Mist” is a short story, written by King, after he was asked to make a contribution to a book of short horror stories. His original idea expanded, into a story of just over 130 pages, making it into something akin to a mini novel than short story. It was originally published in a short story compilation called Dark Rorces. The 2007 release of the film, directed by Frank Darabont, (Shawshank Redemption possibly his most renouned film) is many years past the original publish, perhaps highlighting the considered unsuitability of making this into a film. This because King’s works normally go to film very much quicker!

I always considered this masterpiece of horror writing King’s finest achievement. The reason I am sceptical about the film is because horror of this magnitude can never be recreated on screen as well as what exists in your mind. Imagine your worst horror…It could never happen..Impossible. BUT, what if it DID happen? How would you react?

Right from the very first sentence King draws you into the surreal imagery. The trick is to get the reader to WANT to know what happens next..David Drayton and his wife and young son live in this small town, and the story, as related by Drayton himself, first person, starts during the end stages of a terrible heatwave, producing a terrific storm, causing damage. That this is no ordinary storm is soon evident, coming off the back of a ferocious heatwave, and this after the so called “Black spring”…

When Drayton and his son, accompanied by next door neighbour Brent Norton, make a trip into town the next day to the nearest supermarket, they are overtaken by an unimaginable horror in the shape of a moving mist which engulfs the supermarket. But this is no “mist”..Strange reports of creatures moving in the mist come to the worried people in the market, quickly causing divided emotions among them, some scared, others sceptical, others even consided the whole thing comical. But when people try to move out of the market and terrible screams and noises follow, the people realise they are prisoners inside.

For David and his son, the issue becomes even more complicated as fractions develop among the people trapped there. Who do they have reason to fear the most, the terrible creatures outside, or some of the people INSIDE? At what point do they try to make a run for it? There’s also Mrs. Drayton at home, what has happened to her, and can she be rescued? Then there is the mist itself, almost as a living entity of horror…

As to the characters, the horror is underlined because of the normality of the people, and the place where they are living. Drayton, struggling artist, with his own desires to paint in the way closest to his heart, balanced against the need for commercialisation and to make money to survive. Something like managing a blog! His love for his wife and son, the pompous next door neighbour Norton, lawyer, and out of court a barrackroom lawyer..Mrs. Carmody, who becomes central to the nighmare in the store, full of old wives tales, and supersticions..(Seeing the movie trailer she is nothing at all like the character King cleverly etches in the book.)

I will not disclose anything of the ending here, for those who have not seen it..But suffice to say the story is all the more entertaining by the questions it does not answer. After all, life itself poses quesitons which will never be answered. Life goes on, until it the end..

Here I am offering a pdf file for download; blog-profits-blueprint.pdf It is a free e-book by Yaro Starak, taking you through the process of setting up a blog, uploading content, monetizing it, and discussing tactics for eventually making profits out of your blog, if that is your intention.     Blog Profits

I found it well written, easy to follow, and does not talk rubbish like telling you how “easy” it is to make money quickly out of your blog. If you wnt to take a look, please feel free to download it, and distribute. I don’t have any financial interest in it, but I enjoyed it, and here I’m simply sharing something I found And if you already implemented some of the stategies he suggests in the book already, it might make you feel good! After all, it is Monday

So, are you looking forward to the week with relish? Some think of November as the doldrums of the year..I actually like it, the Autumn or Fall colours always have a special place in my heart.

Here is an idea by footiam for an Everything Green day.

 Here is a scene in Green, NOT taken with digital camera, of a scene near where I live. Green themes inspire feelings of peace and tranquility. Isn’t “Tranquility” a lovely word…It’s self describing…

Getting back to music now, I am reminded of a guitar duet by Simon Dinnigan called “The Valley”. It is a beautiful evocation of the Derbyshire Dales, near where he lives. The broad arpeggios in the backing is descriptive of the rolling landscape, the expansivness of the countryside, and the sweet melody captures very well the greenery which dominates the area.

Music and pictures..A great combination

Rose made a post about our little net surfing friends called  Favicons, the tiny little .ico files which personalise our web site favourites. This by creating a small picture, stored by the favourite name. However for those using IE6 these are stored in temporary internet files, and they get lost when files from there are deleted. You can ditch IE altogether if you want and use Firefox! However, for those reluctant to part with IE, here’s a little tip on how to keep them..

In essence, what we do here is simply make a copy of the .ico file and store it in a new folder in my documents, then point the computer to that file. First, bookmark the site, or add to favourites, close the browser, then open again. In IE go to tools>internet options>settings>view files> then click type. Scroll down the long list until you see files marked .ico, or called favicon. Right click the file you want, select copy, then make a new folder in my documents, call it for example favicons.

Now go to the new folder, and paste the file into there. At this point I recommend renaming this file, because later you will keep being prompted to overwrite it if you don’t. Just give it a new number, like favicon 20, because when you add other files later from temporary internet files the default will always be favicon (1) Now you have the file in place, back to IE, click favourites, find the location, right click, then select properties>change icon. Scroll to the my documents favicon file, select it, then click apply and you’re done. The favicon will never get lost again. And it’s far easier on the eye if you have a long fav list to look for the favicon rather than the site name I think.

Complicated? Well I said you can always use Firefox Though it’s not really complicated, only logical.

I note from the news that Walmart is exploring ways to lower prices on sustainable technologies such as energy efficient building materials and systems, energy efficient lighting and clean energy products, by using their purchasing power. Story  The reason I mention this is I am always interested in the use od new technology in enviromental issues. This is where the Digital Newworld.com website concept originaly started. It needs clarifying because, up to this point, this blog has nothing to do with this issue! But it’s another aspect of my life, that I’m gadget mad

Treizies Thoughts posted recently about a blogs focus, and posting good content while on different subjects. My original website concept was to focus on the use of technology in the modern era, and the impact of technology on the enviroment. I thought it might pander to my, er, gadget obsessions. Oh no, I thought, I could never write about a blog. Then along came this blog, mostly in focus with my lifes main theme, music and the guitar.

I am currently rebuilding my earlier website  Digital Newworld. What has been in place has been only really a test. Until I get the main articles running I will mostly display regular updating news feed articles. Then I MIGHT get to gadgets and gizmo articles.

I guess up to now some may have wondered where the “Digital Newworld” comes in! Hope that clarifies…If only a little!

I hope you are all having a peaceful weekend. Take care.