Visiting the “S” cities

Santa Clara, then north & south, a little to the East then, back West to the Wasatch mountains.
Nature is healing. Such great music at every stop. Also the story of human foibles and angst, humor & hunger.
Friendship & family.
Breath…

Tweet This Post  Buzz This Post  Facebook  MySpace 

Just trying to see videos of the Olympians: more tech

More tech…Haven’t been able to enable, upload or use the Silverlight plugin to see videos online of Olympic Skaters so I asked Silverlight what to do.
See instructions below. Should I spend the time doing all this? Is it worth it? Will I achieve the success I want? Or, am I wasting my time? Let me know your opinion. Funny day!
Thanks,
V

Your IMac G5 that is a PowerPC will not be able to access their content as the site does not support Silverlight 1. This site only supports the use of Silverlight 2 or higher which will only run on Intel Mac. However this is why both versions of Silverlight are made available to all website developers by Microsoft. The choice as to which version they utilize on their site is the choice of the developer for the site and is not dictated by Microsoft.

We recommend that you contact the author of the website. If you visit the site you are having difficulty with and look for a contact us you should find a way to provide feedback and let them know that you cannot access their content because you are using a PowerPC.

However you will be able to viewed this content on your MacBook. If this is not functioning what we recommend is removing Silverlight and its preferences then reinstalling it.

To uninstall Silverlight please perform the steps outlined below: (Note: when completing these steps make sure you have quit our of all running Applications and that they have not just been minimized to the Dock)

1. Open you Mac HD

2. Go to Library

3. Go to Internet Plug-ins

4. Drag Silverlight.plugin to the Trash

5. Go you to you Home Folder

6. Open the Library folder

7. Open the Preferences folder

8. Look for the com.microsoft.silverlight.plist file and move it to the trash

9. Look for the com.microsoft.SilverlightPlugin.loader.plist file and move it to the trash

10. Check your Trash to make sure there is nothing you want to keep then empty your Trash

6. Restart your Mac

To manually install Silverlight please perform the steps outlined below: (Note: when completing these steps make sure you have quit our of all running Applications and that they have not just been minimized to the Dock)

1. Launch your web browser (FireFox/Safari) and visit Silverlight.net/GetStarted

2. On the lower right side of the screen you will see Install Silverlight, Choose Silverlight 3 Mac Runtime and allow this to download to your desktop. If the installation automatically launches quit out of it and complete the following steps.

3. Mount the Silverlight image that is on your desktop

4. Ctrl+Click Silverlight.3.0.pkg

5. Choose “Show Package Contents”

6. Open Contents

7. Copy Archive.pax.gz to Desktop

8. Ctrl+Click the Archive.pax.gz file that was placed on the Desktop

9. Choose “Open With”, BOMArchiveHelper.app or “Archive Utility”.

10. This should extract a folder to the desktop called Library

11. Open this folder

12. Open the Internet Plug-ins folder

13. Copy Silverlight.plugin to Hard Drive: Library: Internet Plug-ins.

14. Restart your Mac

15. Visit Silverlight.net and go to Showcase, if you can view this page without being prompted to install Silverlight then it has installed successfully.

If this is unsuccessful there may be an issue with your user account preventing Silverlight from working correctly. What we would like to do is test a new Mac user. To create a new Mac user:

1) Go to System Preferences

2) Go to Account

3) Choose the Plus sing in the lower left corner to open the new account window, enter Test for the user name, leave the password blank

4) Put checkmark in Allow User to Administer this computer

5) Choose Create Account

6) Now logout out of your original account and login to the Test account

7) Once in the Test Account visit Silverlight.net and go to Showcase, if you can view this page without being prompted to install Silverlight then it has installed successfully.

Please let me know if this addresses your issue.

Thank you for using Microsoft Silverlight Technical Support,

Tweet This Post  Buzz This Post  Facebook  MySpace 

Music recording/playing technology..impedance/schmimpedance

Here’s my story…the Laywoman’s Experience with audio engineering stuff…just trying to transfer music and record new tracks…long distance between studios
I’ve been on a learning curve & I feel increasingly incompetent but don’t give up.

Look at the jam I got into with just getting files transferred that were some or all of these: AIFF, WAV, ACC, MPEG, MP3. I had my burned “studio session” CDs (are they MP3s?) strewn around here, my laptop music files that were MP3s or ACC, the mighty new iPod I thought would be my storage & transferrable info….”shouldn’t be used” said the head engineer. Dang.

So I bought a Thumb drive with 16 MG capacity yesterday. That’s like enough space….like using an 18 wheel truck to haul a toaster. I got space!

Oh, here’s more….Days ago talking with a Sweetwater Engineer about impedance of the violin, the iPod, the Jam man and asking, trying to “Grok”, which volume pedal would do it all. (Aren’t they all the same?)

Got an Ernie Ball stereo output. (Hey, I asked if it was AC powered or had batteries. Good question and I looked for it in the box and thought I had gotten ripped off.) Then I said to myself…passive? aggressive? powered? phantom. I plugged it in and it functioned…success!
(score is : 1 for Vicki and 10,000 for technology)

So at the Friday gig what I’d endeavored to prepare logically & technically was a Y connector for 2 inputs into the brandie new volume pedal to switch back and forth from Jamman or the iPod feed in order to control the beginning and endings of loops or accompaniments while playing live…the engineer (Yup another one) said it wouldn’t. He was right. Fortunately only the iPod was used…because it worked! My first time.
(Score: Vicki at a huge #2!)
Here’s where I’m spending all my mental time and questions: Is it Stereo? ..ummm….yes…which, the iPod or the Jamman? … ummm
low or high impedance? ummm ..yes?

You know it’s been a lot of just not knowing and continually asking as the deadlines loomed.Sweetwater, Radio Shack, Staples (thumb drive)
“How many 20 minute songs does it hold?”
By the time it got down to asking the first engineer a question about the long distance studio files to transfer one more time, with an explanation beyond my capacity …well I can see that I had “techno overload”.
The session went well enough but my brain is exhausted from straining on the left hemisphere.

Tweet This Post  Buzz This Post  Facebook  MySpace 

MTV fundraiser tonight. It’s my 3rd donation. All the money won’t bring back the deceased or ease the early traumas. It will give many the chance to survive and a future with some hope in it. This country has been so impoverished and “back burnered”.
I hope this tragedy brings about a new plan for Global Emergencies. Speed and Effectiveness.
I wish I had what it takes to be a doctor, the strength & immunity to go there. Thank you to those that studied so hard, 12 years & more and choose to give back in this way!!! Go Team MD Rescue!!!! Berkshire Muse Vicki

Tweet This Post  Buzz This Post  Facebook  MySpace 

PLAYING in Great Barrington Feb 5th 5-8 PM

Location FUEL on Main Street, GB
Date Friday, February 5, 2010
Time 5:00 pm
Event GODDESS LOOP: Vicki & JoAnne Spies at FUEL
Event Type Music Party of 2 or “open rehearsal”…just us Goddess Loopers
Short Description JoAnne Spies and Vicki return to FUEL for the tea, coffee & goodies…oh…Right..we are performing our 1st open rehearsal.
Description It’s a chance to hear a bit of what Vicki has been working on, recording her next CD. She was in Miami over the Holidays . What do you think JoAnne will surprise us with this time? Her strong voice, story telling ability and songs always bring a picture into great relief.
My favorites: A Beautiful Boy, The Prairie, The Checkout Line & many more

Hey …last time we played there she belted out Kansas City! After I finished closing my jaw I enjoyed playing some lines along the way. Our last music party at Fuel involved audience participation. It’s a groove thing or a call & response. Ya Never Know! Hope you can come out and hang out with us on Feb 5th.

Location FUEL Main St Great Barrington MA

Tweet This Post  Buzz This Post  Facebook  MySpace 

Spices

See this link for info about BC prevention…simple things like pepper and turmeric. Love Indian food!
http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourhealth/discoveries/articles/discoveries_curry_black_pepper_may_help_prevent_breast_cancer.html?cmp=NLC-WBLTR-CTRL-1810-F5t

Tweet This Post  Buzz This Post  Facebook  MySpace 

Happy Holidays

Holy Days. Holy Smoke, Holy guacamole….time to be grateful for what we have, not whining about the losses nor past afflictions. To define ourselves by being present in each moment and learning whatever lessons are hitting us in the forehead.
My lessons include seeing what stresses me out, trying to take effective action to maintain equanimity. There’s a mouthful. the verb “trying” indicates possible forward motion on this front. Hard to tell sometimes but it helps me to get on with the day. The ebb and flow of the hours and events, people and places.
Dec 27 2009

Tweet This Post  Buzz This Post  Facebook  MySpace 

Cleansing Waters CD available on Projekt Label

The new recording Cleansing Waters Pura Vida is now available on the Projekt website. So are my other 2 or 3
click or cut and paste in this address for downloads & CD…

http://www.projekt.com/projekt/product.asp?sku=TSM04001

Amazon doesn’t post a photo and I’m having trouble accessing. At some point in the future my website will link to Om Store.

Tweet This Post  Buzz This Post  Facebook  MySpace 

Cleansing the Chakras

Last week I participated in ” 7 Layers of Cleansing” . Layne Redmond led us through many practices including pranayam, chi kung, yoga, chanting and more. It was rigorous and all was to establish and connect with the chi energy we can manifest or realize in our bodies. Pulling from the ground up.
If it stagnates, we stop moving and then, the cells are not happy campers.
if you ever get the opportunity to take Layne’s workshops…Do it! She’s thorough, has researched & taught for many years, written books, is very knowledgeable, evolving and approachable.
I played Indian Ragas on violin while there was meditation, shiv asana and at various times, sometimes “in concert” with Tibetan Bells. Wonderful people attending this at Kripalu retreat Center in Lenox, MA.
Layne teaches all over the world. You’ll get lots of info and her calendar at layneredmond.com. She’s on uTube too. Her drumming workshops are also fun and transformative.

Tweet This Post  Buzz This Post  Facebook  MySpace 

Massage and Lymphedema prevention

Massage is so good for us. Puts me back in my body, eases the ouchy effects of the posture I shouldn’t have done in yoga class yesterday, releases tension, fluids, toxins and makes me feel good. If you’ve had lymph nodes removed, the specialist told me to ask the massage therapists to not do much to that arm. The drainage isn’t there and must be done in a specific way.
If anyone has comments to support that..let me know.

Tweet This Post  Buzz This Post  Facebook  MySpace