About 6 months ago my friend Edward asked if he could have the vocals and backing to “The Loon” for a remix idea that he had. I said “ok – but what kind of remix just out of curiosity”. He then told it was for a dance remix idea. I was not sure if I was insulted or confused when he said that. How is he going to make a song in 5/4 into a 4/4 on the floor song? Yesterday he showed me what he began working on – It is just a start but it is actually pretty cool.

I have been working late this week recording acoustic guitar. I live in a neighborhood where it seems like everyone knows I am recording so they floor it while driving past my home. The only solution to this is to record late at night and maybe rising gas prices.

www.johnprassas.com

04-08-2009

www.johnprassas.com

Almost finished recording, and re-amping guitars for “Running up that Hill” I have a few small fixes – but for whatever reason small fixes stress me out. I think because I hate switching from guitar player mode to recording engineer and back to guitar player.

I Tried a bit of a different set up for the guitar cabinet this time.

Low end is so nice with a real amp KOCH AMP

Verses the POD.
POD

Next – Add Alberts Drums.

03-27-2009

I took a break from working on music and lyrics for 1984 and did some recording of an instrumental version of “The Camp of Souls“

This article was interesting. Especially the last point about banking systems.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6211250.stm

Here are some of the highlights.

♦The richest 2% of adults in the world own more than half of all household wealth,

♦In contrast, some citizens of the rich countries have more debt than assets – making them, the report says, among the poorest in the world in terms of household wealth.

♦Professor Anthony Shorrocks, says it does draw attention to the importance of enhancing banking systems in developing countries to help generate the funds for business investment.

This year I will try out Kiva.

03-23-2009

Kick ass! I am going to be working with Albert Born again. We are going to record some songs for the online bonus content of “Here Lies One“

Last night I heard a story on the BBC about Soviet soldiers who fought with the Red Army, and then deserted or were
captured by the Mujahadeen. They converted to Islam and live in Afghanistan to this day with their wives and children.

I wonder if any American soldiers are loosing faith and contemplating this.
BBC Assignment

BBC Assignment

BBC Assignment Feature Soviet Soldiers who Deserted.

I went to see “Taken” a few weeks ago. Mainly because I always enjoy the roles Liam Neeson plays. To me he is the cool relaxed guy in a shoot out with a fast draw. Taken – I would say 2/3’rds of it was great for me. However I am the type of person that takes a deep breath and smiles every time a human trafficking gangster gets blown away.

I would not recommend Taken to most people. I would recommend ……..Seraphim Falls and Batman Begins

I heard this on the BBC a  few nights ago.

It is by Lasantha Wickrematunge

“No other profession calls on its practitioners to lay down their lives for their art save the armed forces – and, in Sri Lanka, journalism. Electronic and print institutions have been burned, bombed, sealed and coerced. Countless journalists have been harassed, threatened and killed. It has been my honour to belong to all those categories, and now especially the last.

“It is well known that I was on two occasions brutally assaulted, while on another my house was sprayed with machine-gun fire. In all these cases, I have reason to believe the attacks were inspired by the government. When finally I am killed, it will be the government that kills me.

“The irony in this is that, unknown to most of the public, President Mahinda Rajapaksa and I have been friends for more than a quarter-century. A few remarks to him would therefore be in order here.

“In the wake of my death I know you will make all the usual sanctimonious noises and call upon the police to hold a swift and thorough inquiry. But like all the inquiries you have ordered in the past, nothing will come of this one, too.

“As for me, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I walked tall and bowed to no man. And I have not travelled this journey alone. Fellow journalists in other branches of the media walked with me: most are now dead, imprisoned without trial or exiled in far-off lands. You will never be allowed to forget that my death took place under your watch. As anguished as I know you will be, I also know that you will have no choice but to protect my killers: you will see to it that the guilty one is never convicted. You have no choice.

“As for the readers of the Sunday Leader, what can I say but thank you for supporting our mission. We have espoused unpopular causes; stood up for those too feeble to stand up for themselves; locked horns with the high-and-mighty so swollen with power that they have forgotten their roots; exposed corruption and the waste of your hard-earned tax rupees; and made sure that whatever the propaganda of the day, you were allowed to hear a contrary view.

“For this I — and my family — have paid the price that I had long known I would one day have to pay. I am, and have always been, ready for that. What am I among so many? It has long been written that my life would be taken, and by whom. All that remained to be written was when.

“That the Sunday Leader will continue fighting the good fight, too, is written. For I did not fight this fight alone. Many more of us have to be — and will be — killed before the Leader is laid to rest. I hope my assassination will be seen not as a defeat of freedom, but an inspiration for those who survive to step up their efforts. Indeed, I hope that it will help galvanise forces that will usher in a new era of human liberty in our beloved motherland. I also hope it will open the eyes of your president to the fact that however many are slaughtered in the name of patriotism, the human spirit will endure and flourish.”

About a week ago I started to think that a recession is a good thing. Scientists have been warning us that our current life style is not sustainable.
I am curious though if the recession will weed out that which is unneeded or if it will just put more burden on the lower class. Especially since we are choosing to bail out fat cats who steal other peoples lasagna. Ron Paul had a nice speech on this.