Author: DOuG pRATt

In the Public Domain

On the Media, The NPR show, seemed for a long time to be a bunch of newspaper reporters sitting around talking about the newspaper business, so I’d flip past it. But a while ago I found myself stopping to listen to the show, sometimes intently.

GeneGreene.jpgOne item today that caught my interest is about American music labels pushing to get European copyright laws changed. As my buddy Dennis Rogers recently pointed out, the 50-year limit on copyrighted material in Europe means there’s a flood of CD’s headed our way from overseas from the era of Elvis and beyond. He predicts the laws will change when the Beatles’ material nears the 50-year mark.

America’s copyright laws extend 95 years, and that’s what the U.S. music labels want Europe to also set as their standard. Open the audio player and listen to what was hot 95 years ago. Gene Greene performing “King of the Bungaloos.” Greene does a bit of jazzy scat and for a moment he sounds like the voice of Popeye, as done by Jack Mercer 25 years later.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Sounds/Wordpress/DEC06/GeneGreene.mp3]

Puts things into perspective, doesn’t it? Let’s compromise. How about 60 years?

Here’s a link to On the Media’s piece, which I would rate as a must-listen. If you have any problems with it, and you shouldn’t because it’s done the same way I do my embedded audio, let me know and I’ll put it here.

Quiet … You Eee-de-ot!

Ren Stimpy

Animator John Kricfalusi, or John K., was born the day before my identical twin sister and I were born. One day total.

I suppose John K’s characters Ren and Stimpy are the sort you either hate or love. But I fell in the middle. Although I liked the show, I wasn’t absolutely wild-crazy for it, as many were. I could say I was too old to get into Ren and Stimpy’s scatological anarchy — but, like I said, John K. is one day older than me.

So with those comments out of the way, if you don’t already know about John K’s blog, go there now! I won’t rave about Ren and Stimpy, but I’ll rave about John K.’s blog. The man’s heart is so absolutely in the right place. Anybody who labors over a discussion of color theory in Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear cartoons from the late 50’s is AOK!

Why Not More Keillor?

I’m spoiled by having the fastest available consumer Internet connection. I prefer not listening to audio that’s intended for dialup connections. Here is today’s “The Writer’s Almanac,” taken from my computer’s FM tuner. This is how all Web audio should sound!

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Sounds/Wordpress/DEC06/WritersAlmanac121406.mp3]

Unbiquitous Garrison

I’m thinking about radio, so I’ll do another radio-related post.

When Garrison Keillor first came upon the scene, in the days of disco harkening back to the bygone era of big bands, I liked him. Then later, I became tired of him, feeling him to be too smug, and was glad of it that he disappeared for a while. When he returned I tolerated him, as I would when listening to one of those unavoidable, opinionated patrons sitting too close at a movie theater. Then I mellowed to his consistent tone, his constant message, and once again I came to appreciate the writings and the utterances of Garrison Keillor. I’ve continued to like him ever since. His is a voice of reason, that has a way of growing upon a person, resonating to the point where one might even find themself assuming his literary affectations.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Sounds/Wordpress/DEC06/Almanac.mp3]

Among Keillor’s seemingly endless outlets, he produces a weekday 5-minute program called The Writer’s Almanac. It’s on WGBH radio in Boston at 8:55 am. The Web site has only Real audio, which many people don’t have or, like me, have but don’t want. I’ve converted Wednesday’s installment, which you can hear on the audio player.