heavyharmonies

Heya Del, I certainly appreciate the enthusiasm (and the donations ), but the periodic "nagging" I used to have to do is one of the reasons I switched to an annual "fund drive" (held in November) rather than asking for donations every few months. Kinda like Public Radio and TV always begging for assistance, people get tired of it happening more than once a year, even if they are partaking of the services year round. So... rather than pestering people every few months, I do it once a year, running a giveaway in conjunction. As you mention, there are still plenty of regulars who don't donate even during the fund drive, but that's the nature of a voluntary system. There are always those who expect things for free... and those who are willing to donate foot the bill for those who are not. That's just the way it is. A subscription-based system would be the fairest, but that just ends up driving people away and decreasing the size of the community... At any rate, donate if the spirit moves ye, but I'll be hitting y'all up in November. -Dan

What. A. Piece. of. Shit. Blaming it on PayPal. FUCK HIM. -Dan

I don't know what in blazes is going on. I'm now at my office, I fired up Internet Explorer 7, turned on the phishing filter, and surfed all over HH. I get no warnings or popups at all. I even did a "Check this website" and it came back as negative on the phishing report. You're on your own on this one; I can't replicate the behavior... -Dan

What operating system and browser are you guys using? I get no message of any kind either on Internet Explorer 6 or FireFox 2 running on XP Professional. I'm guessing it's part of Brother Bill's campaign to protect you from yourself either in IE7 or Vista. It probably looks at the .cgi filename extension along with the script parameters and decides it must protect you. Lame. Is there any way you can tell Internet Explorer is a "trusted site" and bypass all that shit? -Dan

People "collect" for different reasons. Period. Just because YOU are only interested in the music and are content with downloaded mp3s, copied CD-Rs, or bootlegs, doesn't mean other people are. By the same token, because some people want original pressings of actual CD releases doesn't mean you have to be. You are making assumptions about why people collect, and are trying to pigeonhole people based on YOUR negative opinion of collectors. Value and authenticity are not necessarily connected in the collector's mind. You don't have to be concerned about the value of a CD (or any other collectible) to still want an original example instead of a copy. I don't do as much CD scrounging as I used to, due to the high price of gasoline as well as slim pickings in the region, but when I did, when I found a rare CD, my first thought wasn't "Wow, this is worth a lot!" or "Wow, I'll be able to make a lot on this one!" It was "Wow, I can't believe I finally found one of these!" or "Wow! I've never heard this one before!" You (and others) assume that it's all about the money. It isn't. Reasons some people might want original discs rather than CD-Rs or boots (not all apply to everyone): Aesthetics. Inkjet printed artwork or a sharpy-written CD-R just isn't the same. It's still hard to duplicate the quality of commercially printed artwork; makes a difference if you actually read liner notes. A collection of CD-Rs really isn't that impressive. Completeness. Usually when you get a boot, CD-R, or download, you get just the front/back cover of the booklet rather than the whole thing. Challenge. Trying to put together a complete original discography of an artist. Bragging Rights. As with any type of collector, whether it be guitars, motorcycles, muscle cars, whatever, there's a certain "one-upping the next guy" factor that exists. Resale potential. CD-Rs and downloads have zilch. Then again I find that those people who are ONLY interested in CD-Rs or downloads expect everything to be free (including the music from the artists to begin with) so only want to trade. Their aversion to the fiscal aspect of collecting is at the complete opposite end of the spectrum from those collectors that are obsessed with value. Two extremes; 90% of people fall in the middle. History. CDs, as with vintage vinyl, 78-RPM records, 8-tracks, laserdiscs, vintage audio equipment, etc. are a tangible part of the landscape of music history. Some of those nuances are lost when all you have is a CD-R. Also, depending on your mindset, many people find something "offensive" about owning a knock-off or copy; there's something that doesn't feel "authentic" about it. Reference. Especially with rare and/or obscure discs, a collection of CDs is in effect a reference library. HH only encompasses a small portion of the information that can be gleaned from discs. From reading comments in liner notes, to who the artists thank, to seeing pictures, one can often glean an insight into the lives of musicians, bands, etc. Believe it or not, this actually can be important decades down the road, when you're trying to reconstruct information about an artist that hasn't been seen or heard from in years. Sometimes all we have as to the existence of a certain band, is what we can figure out from an original pressing. Money is relative. Some people aren't working stiffs like me. Some people have enough discretionary income to afford CDs regardless of price. To them, the idea of spending $100-300 on a CD is like you or I spending $15. The idea of simply getting a CD-R rather than the real thing doesn't even occur to them. I'll admit, I have the "packrat" gene. I collect many different things. Part of the reason I do it is to compile and share information. That's how HH was born. When I get into a "groove" on a particular collectible I'll start compiling information, pictures, etc. and create a web site for others to use to do research. I find that enjoyable. I've made countless connections with people all over the world, in numerous collecting circles, due entirely to the information I've made available about things I collect: www.cdvideo.info - A reference web site devoted to the obsolete analog video/digital audio format. www.revenue-collector.com - Photographic reference and gallery for Civil War-era revenue stamps. www.polksda.com - Reference for 1980s vintage Polk Audio speakers (you would be amazed how large of a collector base there is for these!) www.coinpictures.com - Photo gallery for coins I collect. www.vintagetrumpets.com - Some information pages about some vintage horns, as well as trumpeter Maynard Ferguson. http://www.cdsniper.com/soundtracks/soundtracks.html - Reference for '80s/'90s movie soundtracks that have cool hard rock or heavy metal tunes, complete with extensive photographs. http://www.cdsniper.com/cgi-bin/cdsingles.cgi - Reference page for my collection of CD singles. Many of these contain interesting edits, remixes, demos, and live tracks not found on the albums. http://www.cdsniper.com/cgi-bin/withintemptation.cgi - My Within Temptation Collection gallery. I was impressed enough by this band, that I figured I'd put together a showcase of some of their CDs and DVDs I have. Sharing information is fun. Sometimes collecting has nothing to do with money or investment. Heck, sometimes I'll start collecting something for the sole purpose of creating a web site for it, because I don't find any information out on the Internet. A prime example are those batches of sealed cassingles I posted pictures of a few months back. When I happened to be in a position to buy large quantities for relatively little money, my thought wasn't that I could resell them, but rather "Hey, I'll bet there isn't an Internet reference for these!" I've since found another store where I was able to buy about 100 more. Instant collection, just add water. Sure, it's an obsolete format with minimal interest, but it's still part of the history of music, so I feel like putting together a site for them. Now, if I hadn't been able to buy a whole bunch in one fell swoop, I never would have done it... the last thing I have time or interest in doing is tracking down cassingles. But when I can buy a whole bunch for a buck or less, well there's an information opportunity there. People do stuff for different reasons... -Dan P.S. Because the music that we here at HH lean towards is "out of vogue" and/or difficult to obtain (most of it being out of print), most people have to resort to places like eBay or half.com or other "collectible" resources to obtain the music. Any time you are dealing primarily with aftermarket sources as opposed to buying retail, people are going to question how much to pay for something. So we inevitably see more discussion here involving prices of CDs than you would find on other types of forums. It's not that fans of '80s hard rock and AOR are more obsessed with the "value" of their CDs, but people want to find out going rates so they're not overpaying... this leads into the whole bootleg discussion: "If I have to spend $XXX for CD YYY, I want to make sure I'm buying a real one, not someone's copy."

That's interesting. I assumed you had him shut down. It must have been someone else reporting the auctions... although there wasn't anything in them that I would have thought eBay would see as prima facie evidence of bootlegging sufficient to terminate the auctions. Weird. -Dan

Not to mention Retrospect Records... Sam, did you start a reseller/affiliate program? -Dan

Feel free to post the bands that are incorrect, along with what the URL should be (if there is one). Thanks, -Dan

No, this time I'm going to make a one-time exception and let things stand on both sides, provided it goes no further. Sam made an implication. Dave responded with an explanation. That's all that needs to be said. Readers can draw their own conclusions from here on out. This does NOT need to escalate further. Have a nice day. -Dan

Just received this in my Ebay messagebox:

I realized that I never set official policy on this, but better late than never: Images, logos, pictures, etc. in your signatures is fine, but please keep the maximum dimensions to standard banner size: 468x60 pixels. I'm less concerned with images that are wider than that, than I am with images that get too tall. Using your sig for advertising is fine, but let's keep it reasonable. Thanks, -Dan

Harsh... funny as hell, but appropriately harsh. I voted option #4. For some folks it will be an incentive to place larger orders. For others who might not want to make a large order, it gives them an option if they still want a shirt... best of both worlds for the consumer. -Dan

Country: ickypoo... with a few exceptions. I've always loved "Restless Heart" but they're really more AOR than country, IMO... more Eaglesesque which bridges the gap. Little Texas and 4-Runner had some moments as well. For some inexplicable reason, I've been getting into a lot of bluegrass music lately. Not entirely sure why... not so much vocally, but instrumentally, with the interaction and complexity between banjo, mandolin, and violin. There's some serious kick-ass musicianship there. -Dan

Am checking into this again to see if the board integration has gotten any better... -Dan

The biggest problem in all of this is the screaming DOUBLE STANDARD that is applied to white celebrities/politicians/athletes/etc. versus that which is applied to minorities. In the name of political correctness we villify and pillorize "the evil white man" for being "obviously" a racist by default, yet minority figures can say the most VILE and reprehensible things and it's either overlooked or outright condoned in a subconscious attempt to make up for an institution that was abolished in 1865. Don't make the mistake of thinking for a moment that Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton want "an even playing field." Nothing could be farther from the truth. Most self-proclaimed activists and proponents of affirmative action want a system and policies that gives clear preference to minorities over nonminorities (see quotas and set-asides). The end result of it all is a country where Oprah Winfrey, who makes hundreds of millions of dollars a year, has more governmental assistance resources and programs available to her because (1) she's black, and (2) she's a woman, than a white guy in West Virginia making $15,000 a year. Point blank: that's fucked up. I'd better stop, because I could rave about the sorry state of political correctness run amok all day long... -Dan

I find it humorous that some people on this board find it necessary to broadly insult all those who don't listen to or collect music in the same way they do. There seems to be a growing sentiment around here that if you, for whatever reason, want a real original pressing of a CD instead of simply downloading the music or, trading a CD-R, or buying a bootleg, that there's something wrong with you. All of a sudden "collecting music" is now a synonym for 'anal retentive addict freak.' People "collect" for many different reasons: (1) they're a completist for a particular band or artist, (2) the challenge of putting together a vintage collection of a certain type, (3) wanting to hear all the various combinations of mixes, bonus tracks, edits, etc. (that's one of the reasons I collect CD singles). Also, not everyone goes to the collecting extremes implied to be the norm by a few parties here. Yet a few people here want to label "collecting" as a bad thing and imply that you're not a "real fan" if you are a collector. So who is the real fan, the person who goes out of their way to find obscure pressings or imports from a band, or the person who downloads an entire artist's catalog or trades for CD-R copies of the discography? I'm not going to condemn either approach, but for some reason it has now become "cool" around here to be the latter, and "unclean" to be the former. Does anyone else find this somewhat disturbing or am I alone in the wilderness? One could make the supposition that it is those with guilty consciences doing the most lobbing of insults... -Dan

I'll save some time: You don't "get it" and are obviously not a real music fan. You're just one of the detractors. I won't let you be my friend. -Dan P.S. Excellent post and right on the money.

I've been thinking the same thing...maybe there is someone on the board who has been feeding Lonnie info? Nope...Lonnie's been logging in as GlamStealer09 and reading everything for himself. He signed up from a different IP address for his new user ID, so it hasn't been blocked....not yet at least. Read here: http://heavyharmonies.ipbhost.com/index.ph...c=12120&st=786# Fixed. -Dan

Are you referring to my post or did you delete some other posts? I thought my comments were on topic? Just want to make sure I'm following the rules. Sorry, I should have been clearer. No problem with your posts... -Dan

I see.... so reselling to make a profit = bad, but illegally making or selling bootlegs to make a profit = good... talk about a fundamental moral disconnect. Do you realize that with your statement above you just insulted anyone and everyone here who runs a music business or resells casually, whether that's NEH Records, AOR Heaven, or anyone else, on Ebay or otherwise, including the majority of the longtime regulars on this board? Your contempt for everyone here is utterly amazing. Do you not realize just how many people you insult and alienate when you make statements like that or do you simply not give a shit? See, this is the thing that just drives me bonkers: You are constantly claiming that I and others unfairly criticize and "gang up" on you, yet you come here on a regular basis and make broad sweeping insults to the community here. You act like everyone here is beneath your contempt and not worthy to bask in your august presence, and then you whine about unfair everyone is. Huh? I've said this countless times over the years, but I keep coming back to it: Do you think that maybe if you didn't go out of your way to alienate, antagonize, ridicule, and belittle people on a regular basis, that maybe, just MAYBE, people would be more courteous to you in turn??? Believe it or not, it goes both ways. You say that people here have to earn your respect. Right back atcha. -Dan

A lot of incidental and off-topic posts deleted. This thread stays on topic. Period. -Dan

Guys, please pay attention to how you're quoting previous posts. If you see code marks for beginning and ending quotes in the final post, you're not editing properly. Each begin quote must have a matching end quote, or else you just get bits of code showing. Sam, do you always intentionally insult your customers, or just the ones who have ever claim to have had problems with your merchandise? You're really not doing yourself any favors... there's no upside for you other than the smug satisfaction you get by calling people names. It's juvenile behavior. -Dan

Play nice, children... -Dan

I agree. My problem with bootlegs has been less about the nature of them than sellers not revealing what they are selling and the expectations of the buyer. I shouldn't have to PM a seller and ask if a disc is a bootleg, especially if you consider that most sellers will either (1) lie to you or (2) be hostile about the question. It's to the point where you have to assume that any rare disc is a bootleg until proven otherwise, instead of the other way around. Of course sellers will never candidly admit or reveal their merchandise as being bootlegs voluntarily. That would be like a burglar ringing the doorbell first: it sure as hell isn't in their best interest... Sam's response is one you would expect: he deflects the question back into your lap, making it your fault or problem as the buyer, rather than his responsibility as a seller. Nothing new. The never-ending supply of Wraith soundtracks he sells are another prime example. Oh well, this is an age-old argument that we'll never see a resolution to... -Dan

Ah Lonnie, we hardly knew ye... -Dan