http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Thu, 19 Aug 2004 20:04:46 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/08/19/200446.php Michael SeneadzaFrom the moment I first heard about Michael Covel's 'Trend Following: How Great Traders Make Millions in Up or Down Markets' I knew I'd like the book. Now that I've read it I can safely say that this book is a classic and a must-read for anybody involved with the markets -- even those of you who are just blindly plowing money into your retirement accounts. I'd put 'Trend Following' right up there with other essential reads like the 'Market Wizards Series' and 'Reminiscences of a Stock Operator'. (There's a reason why the book has received so many accolades and is a top seller.) Like the 'Market Wizard' books, 'Trend Following' reveals the methods of some of the greatest traders in history. The difference being that 'Trend Following' examines the best of the best, who all happen to be trend followers. Some of the traders who are profiled are: Bill Dunn, who has returned 24% for 28 years; John W. Henry, owner of the Boston Red Sox, who returned 21 times the S&P 500 from 1998 through 2003; and Ed Seykota, who is very likely the greatest trader in history as evidenced by his just under 60% average annual return from 1990 to 2000. 'Trend Following' reveals the simple method which all of these traders used to achieve such spectacular results.Covel takes no prisoners in showing why trend following is the superior trading methodology. He lays waste to all other styles of investing/trading -- 'buy & hold' (Warren Buffett fans will just love chapter 9), fundamental analysis, or even (gasp!) technical analysis. I've always been a proponent of simplifying things and it's the simplicity that I love about trend following. Trend followers focus mainly on price itself to determine when to enter and exit trades and they'll go short just as easily as going long. The book illustrates how that methodology has allowed them to make huge profits from some of the greatest financial disasters of modern times such as the Enron debacle, the collapse of Long Term Capital Management, the 1997 Asian Contagion, the 1987 stock market crash, or the popping of the NASDAQ bubble. If you look at charts of any of those events you'll see that the markets were already trending down before the events took place. Trend followers were already positioned to profit because price told them to be short -- there was no magic formula.The book also explores the mindset and traits of a successful trader via discussions of human behavior, decision making and the science of trading. The culmination of the book is a chapter devoted to developing a trading system, complete with a discussion of two topics that I'm always thrilled to see -- position sizing and expectancy. If you want to improve your trading results I highly suggest that you study this book. P.S. One thing that the book left me wondering is how the average person can take advantage of the trend following money managers who were profiled. I'd like to know if there are trend-following funds that people could put their IRA money into, or does one need to be an accredited investor to buy into those funds. I plan to find some answers to those questions forthwith.Update: Good news, apparently the average Joe can access at least some of these funds. Mr. Covel just sent me the following info about John Henry funds: "But smaller investors can buy into a fund of funds that divides its money among several futures funds that may vary by risk profile and type of investment. The cost of entry is as low as $5,000 ($2,000 for an individual retirement account), with fees that run about 1% of assets and up to 2.5% of profits. The top performers this year in this group are John W. Henry's Millburn series of funds, with a 29% return, and the Dean Witter Portfolio Strategy Fund, up 28%."BusinessWeekDECEMBER 29, 2003 Originally posted on TraderMike.net Books18852@blogcritics.org Thu, 19 Aug 2004 20:04:46 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/08/10/133238.php Michael SeneadzaMichael J. Panzner takes us on safari through what most definitely is a jungle in his book 'The New Laws of the Stock Market Jungle : An Insider's Guide to Successful Investing in a Changing World'. The book focuses on the changes that have occurred in the marketplace over the last 10 years or so. These include improvements in technology and communications (the Internet, email, instant messaging), electronic trading, the technology bubble and its aftermath, the impact of hedge funds, the slashing of commission rates, etc. Ten chapters, one for each 'new law', serve as the heart of the book. They are: Intraday Volatility - Intraday Share Price Volatility Is on the Rise. Trading Like Commodities - Stocks Are Increasingly Being Bought and Sold Like Commodities. Approaches and Attitudes - Investing and Reason Frequently Give Way to Speculation and Emotion. Information and Communications - More Information and Faster Communications Often Have Unexpected Consequences. Derivatives - Derivatives Are Exerting a Growing Influence on Share Prices. Seasonality and Cycles - Many Seasonal and Cyclical Patterns Are Becoming Less Predictable. Imbalances and Upheavals - Aggressive Approaches and Tactics Are Leading to More Unstable Short-Term Imbalances. Form and Fantasy - Substance and Reality Increasingly Give Way to Form and Fantasy. Market Indicators - Many Traditional Market Indicators Are Becoming Less Reliable. Global Factors - Global Factors and Foreign Investors Are Exerting a Growing Influence On Share Prices. Panzner does an excellent job of fleshing out each of those topics. But this book isn't just an academic study of the market, each chapter includes strategies for investors to adapt their methodologies to the new laws. Even though I've been a very active market watcher and participant for the last several years I didn't fully grasp the impact of some of these recent changes, especially those related to indexing, derivatives, globalization and the vast increase in the number of hedge funds. It also gave me a better understanding of why stocks often have seemingly nonsensical reactions to news.While reading this book I was struck at how it's so topical. It seemed like every day I'd see something in the news related to what I had just read in the book. Be it stories about the herding of hedge funds, the policies of some foreign country wreaking havoc on the markets, predictions about the divestiture of foreign funds from the U.S. markets, etc. Investors would do well to read this book and incorporate some of Panzner's strategies into their investing plans.(Originally posted on TraderMike.net) Books18499@blogcritics.org Tue, 10 Aug 2004 13:32:38 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/07/23/163514.php Michael SeneadzaAkon, who likely inherited his musical talent from his father, Senegalese percussionist Mor Thiam, is one of the increasingly rare breed of artists who writes and produces his own material. Listening to his impressive debut CD, Trouble, it's hard to imagine that he once disliked hip-hop. Over time he grew to embrace hip-hop and it shows. His style is a mix of R&B and hip-hop, and Akon glides between singing and rapping effortlessly. In fact you'll likely ask yourself whether he's singing or rapping as you listen to the songs. The CD is entitled 'Trouble' for a good reason -- Akon got into his fair share of trouble while growing up. The best tracks on the album are those about his past exploits and his efforts to turn his life around. My favorite song, 'Locked Up', has Akon reminiscing on a couple of incidents that resulted in him going to jail. 'Trouble Nobody' is about Akon dealing with life as an ex-convict, with judges and probation officers telling him to stay out of trouble. He goes into some of the difficulties of ex-cons trying to go straight: "Let me tell you what hurts the most / I'm a convicted felon and I can't work / No matter where I go to try to get paid / They never give me the job because they are afraid..." Other stand-out tracks include 'Show Out', which pays homage to 'The Message', 'Bananza (Belly Dancer)', which is a club banger obviously influenced by Akon's time spent in Atlanta, 'Gangsta', 'Ghetto' and 'Journey'. Akon's talent also shows through on the production side. The CD covers a lot of musical ground, from Southern-influenced hip-hop to hard-core hip-hop to more traditional R&B songs. He even shows that he can dig in the crates with his well placed, sped up, samlpe of Bobby Vinton's 'Mr Lonely' on the track 'Lonely'. I think Akon may be one of the the next big producers on the scene. Consider what Lil' Zane said about him: "I would compare him to Pharrell," says Lil' Zane, who used Akon's production talents on his own debut. "He can do your beat and sing your chorus." That's high praise, but somehow I think Akon may just live up to it. Rating: **** out of ***** Music17764@blogcritics.org Fri, 23 Jul 2004 16:35:14 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/06/18/133038.php Michael SeneadzaThis morning I was pleasantly surprised to learn that one of my favorite singers, Adriana Evans (a.k.a. Adriana Madera) , has released a new CD, entitled Nomadic. (Thanks EJ) It's been seven years since her self-titled debut CD dropped, but it seems like I've been waiting twice that long for some new music from her. The title of the CD is very appropriate because Adriana has been on a fantastic voyage. The following is the welcome message on her site: Dear Friends,The last few years of my journey since my first record have been all about exploration. My current musical expression is really the soundtrack of that adventure. I have been living somewhat of a gypsy existence that has allowed me to be an artistic sponge of sorts; unknowingly soaking up the sights and sounds of each place.My first stop was northern Mexico. Then I headed off to my home town, San Francisco Ca. My nomadic tendencies then summoned me to Los Angeles, where I began packing my bags for Bahia Brazil. I traveled through northeastern Brazil feeling surprisingly at home. Reluctantly I returned to Los Angeles ,where I began assembling a new album. This project is the culmination of this pilgrimage. The stories in my current material are reflective of the life I've lived and of lives I've seen in my travels. I hope you enjoy it!Thank you for all of your continued support. Peace and Blessings, Adriana Evans The emphasis above is mine because Bahia, Brazil is one of my favorite places in the world and I also felt right at home there. And Brazil has certainly influenced Adriana's music. (You can hear several of the songs on the CD at KDSMusic.com) The tracks 'Remember Love' and 'My Former Self' have a real strong Bahian flava. Other stand-out tracks, which showcase Adriana's incredible range, are 'Midnight in Bahia' and 'I Hear Music'.It's great to hear Adriana's voice on some new material. I'll be picking up the CD this weekend. (Those of you in Atlanta can get it at Moods Music in Little Five Points if you don't want to order it from one of the sites linked above.) If you're a fan of so-called 'Neo Soul' you should check out both of Adriana's CDs. (Originally posted on 'Move the Crowd') Music16630@blogcritics.org Fri, 18 Jun 2004 13:30:38 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/03/20/163427.php Michael SeneadzaLet the greatest MC argument begin anew. Kool Mo Dee was on Tavis Smiley's show last night promoting his new book, "There's a God on the Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs". It seems that Mo Dee, like many of us, was moved to make his own list after seeing the list that MTV put together last year. ( Here's my list if you haven't seen it yet. ) Here's the description of his book: Rapper Kool Mo Dee thrived during hip-hop's nascent years as a vocalist whose tongue-twisting rhymes and speedy delivery put his counterparts to shame. On his 1987 album, How Ya Like Me Now, Kool came up with a 'hip-hop report card': a method of rating MCs (Emcees, Masters of Ceremonies, Master Communicators, or rap vocalists) as a way of separating the premier MCs from their often one-dimensional, overrated counterparts ("Sucka MCs"). Building on this original list, Kool has put together an extensive rating system to compile the definitive list of the greatest MCs of all time. Kool rates each MC based on seventeen different categories, ranging from the artist's lyricism, vocabulary, and freestyling ability to his longevity, body of work, and social impact. Each artist is given a numerical score from one to ten in each of the seventeen categories, as well as an explanation for how this rating was determined. The book includes a complete discography and full-color photograph for each MC, and will also have supplemental lists, such as the top ten storytellers and top ten rhymers. It definitely seems worth a read and the categorical ranking is a nice touch. There's so much to consider when judging such a subjective thing, so no doubt his list will prove to be just as controversial as every other list. He did reveal his top 5 on Tavis' show: Melle Mel Rakim KRS-ONE Big Daddy Kane Kool Mo Dee He also let it slip that he ranked Biggie at #9 and Tupac at #13. In what I consider an odd step, he left Eminem, DMX and Canibus off of the list because their body of work isn't large enough. Well if Biggie's body of work is large enough for a ranking surely DMX and Eminem qualify to be ranked. Anyway, I had to crack a smile at Tupac's ranking. I have Tupac ranked #12 on my list and I've been fighting with Tupac fans over that ever since I posted my list back in June. Mo Dee can now have the joy of dealing with those Pac fanatics. :-)Hopefully somebody will post his entire list so we can proceed to critique it. Books13921@blogcritics.org Sat, 20 Mar 2004 16:34:27 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/10/02/110040.php Michael SeneadzaWynton Marsalis has managed to get himself in the news a lot the last week or so. First he spoke at the National Press Club about "an entire generation of Americans who are culturally ignorant". Although I have issues with Wynton (see below) he made some excellent points in his speech. Like pointing out that many a school band doesn't play jazz and classical music, but rather watered down versions of pop songs. My man MaoXian highlighted parts of the speech and also points to a video of the speech (55 minutes of RealMedia) - there's also a full transcript available (PDF): "As Americans, it's more important than ever that we have a sense of our identity. When you look at a Stuart Davis painting, or listen to Charlie Parker play the saxophone, or watch an Arthur Miller play, you are living an important part of the American experience ... We need a generation of diplomats who understand and take pride in our culture, and can share it with others.""The power of great music is timeless. That's why it remains an indispensable tool for teaching our youngsters ... Music is one of the few things that transcends the boundaries of race, class, religion, and geography that too often divide us.""Can you imagine a society where no one had an appreciation of music, or theater, or art? Where no one could perform, everybody's lip-synching? Nobody could teach? Well believe me, that's the direction we're heading.""Playing in an ensemble teaches you more about good citizenship than I don't know what." He also made some great points during the Q&A session. In regard to the issues around file sharing he said that CDs are over-priced and more emphasis should be placed on live performances (where the real money is made for most artists). He also addressed the images that young people are bombarded with through the media. (Can we please stop using the word 'nigga' on record? Not to mention all the other ish. But that'd be a great place to start.)Wynton was also in the news dissing hip-hop again (via Hip Hop Anonymous): "I listen to any kind of folk music," Marsalis said. He doesn't listen to rap and hip-hop, which he described with one word: ignorant."Rhythms have to have a meaning," he said. "If the rhythm is corrupt, the music is corrupt and the people become corrupt."It's not always something you can see. But as you watch and listen, the ignorance will become clear to you." I can't believe that his brother Branford (Buckshot LeFonque) still hasn't beaten any sense into Wynton's head with respect to hip-hop. Of course there's a good amount of ignorance in hip-hop, but there's also plenty of good, innovative music. He could simply listen to some of his brother's projects to recognize that. I wonder if Wynton realizes that he's casting the exact same aspersions upon hip-hop that were cast upon jazz music back in the day.(originally posted on Move the Crowd) Music8843@blogcritics.org Thu, 2 Oct 2003 11:00:40 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/08/21/114542.php Michael SeneadzaLots of rumors are flying about Da Band from MTV's Making the Band II. Apparently there are questions about whether Sarah has quit the group and whether the group will ever make any money. Here are parts of the SOHH.com article 'Da Band's Grim Financial Future, Goodbye Sarah?' (emphasis is mine): Sarah, a misfit from the onset who was said to be "not hip-hop," was also a no show during the premiere of Da Band's new song "Bad Boy This, Bad Boy the on DJ Kay Slay's radio show in New York.Show fans are also buzzing about the group's recording contract after last week's episode revealed Da Band conferencing with their manager over an apparent three percentage points they'd receive on every dollar their record makes. To put those numbers in perspective, even if they sold 1 million CDs at about $17.99, they'll go home with less than $100,000 each after splitting the money six ways and less than $50,000 if they only go gold. And that's before the group has to "recoup" (repay) costs such as the recording budget, the advance, half of the price of the videos, and half of all of the independent promotions.This means Da Band will have to rely on other financial means including touring and endorsements to make a living. Wendy Day, CEO of Rap Coalition - a non-profit organization aimed at the unfair exploitation of artists in the music industry - says going platinum is a feat and puts her own spin on Da Band's money shortfall."Here's my educated guess: the label gave a 12% deal (standard) which got split between two companies involved in the making of the show (6% and 6%) and one of those companies (most likely the production company) then split their cut with the group (3% and 3%)," said Williams who started Rap Coalition (lots of good info here) in 1992. This appears to be similar to the American Idol show, which also takes a cut of the artist's recording contract."Regardless, 3% is excessively oppressive, bordering on straight rape," continues Day, who provides a detailed breakdown of "The Financial Realities of A Record Deal" on her website, www.rapcoalition.org. "Who is the scumbag behind that show? Puh-lease, it ought to be called 'Making Rich Power Mongers Richer' ... And you can quote me." A few weeks ago I mentioned a bit about the contract signing scene. I was hoping that the scene was just for show, and that the group members had at least read their contracts before signing them. (Of course they should have had lawyers look them over too.) Not that they still wouldn't or shouldn't have signed, but at least they'd know what they were getting involved with. But after seeing (I think it was) Fred's reaction to the 'news' that they'd be receiving 3 points ("I ain't doin' it!"), it seems pretty clear that they didn't read the contracts at all. I'm surprised that these aspiring musicians haven't learned how the industry works. They should have known that they'd be pimped on the records and that the way to make money is by touring. That's been documented so many times that it should be common knowledge by now -- especially for people trying to get in the industry. I guess these guys just believe what they see in the videos.I have a question about the numbers calculated in the quoted article above. If anyone knows whether artists get a cut of (actual) retail, wholesale or list price/MSRP, please leave a comment and let me know. I always assumed that they got a cut of wholesale, but the article's figures seem to be based on retail or list price/MSRP. Music7737@blogcritics.org Thu, 21 Aug 2003 11:45:42 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/08/03/121645.php Michael SeneadzaMy TiVo just found a new show from Tommy Boy Films called Kung Faux. (What would I do without my TiVo working so hard for me?) It's a series of Kung Fu films over-dubbed with the voices of hip-hop artists and a soundtrack to match. The episode I just watched was voiced by Guru, Jean Grae, Sadat X, and Roc Raida to name a few. The show comes on Fuse, which was formerly MuchMusic. If you don't get that channel it's also available on DVD and online. Here's a snippet of a more complete review: Somewhere in between "South Park," "Jackass" and a Method Man and Redman album is Much Music USA's new television program and DVD "Kung Faux." The creators consist of graphic designers, graffiti artists, video editors and rappers.What they do is boil all the action from an old, cheesy Kung Fu movie down into a easily digestible half-hour episode, add cool graphics and "Pop-Up Video" effects, then dub over all the original lines with hip-hop lingo, while still staying true to the original plot of the movie.For instance, lets say there is a meeting between a Kung Fu master and his apprentice. Instead of "Oh, Daniel Son, you must catch fly before you break every bone in that guy," the dialogue would be something like: "Yo, son, why you trippin'? I'll teach you game, but first you gotta earn this shit, dig?" Needless to say, it is a riot. For more material along these lines check out the amazing Hop Fu trailer or the full version of Hop Fu over at StylusWars.(cross-posted to Move the Crowd) Video7384@blogcritics.org Sun, 3 Aug 2003 12:16:45 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/07/28/193944.php Michael SeneadzaKraftwerk has come back with a new album, Tour De France Soundtracks. They're including a 20th anniversary version of the classic Tour De France (remember that scene from Breakin' when Boogaloo Shrimp was poppin' with that broom?) You can check out the song and video here. I still prefer the original though.OK, I just went out to Kraftwerk.com and now I'm having flashbacks. There are some interesting 'toys' on their site, like pages that allow you to recreate the German number counting of their song Numbers, that let you manipulate the song Boing Boom Tschak, and even a Pocket Calculator, etc. Now I have to go break out my Kraftwerk greatest hits CD (which for some strange reason doesn't include Tour De France!). Music7296@blogcritics.org Mon, 28 Jul 2003 19:39:44 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/07/28/173121.php Michael SeneadzaYesterday I was having a discussion about whether or not Dr. Dre can be considered a rapper. The discussion quickly digressed into the topic of ghostwriting. For those that don't know, here's a definition of a ghostwriter -- 'One who writes for and gives credit of authorship to another'. The practice of ghostwriting in hip-hop has always carried a certain stigma. That is to say that no self-respecting MC would be caught dead reciting rhymes written by someone else. Yet we know the practice takes place. Jay-Z once told Vibe magazine that "I get paid a lot of money to not tell you who I write for." It's widely known that Dr. Dre's lyrics have been written by The D.O.C., Ice Cube, Snoop, Jay-Z, Eminem, etc. I'm pretty sure Puffy doesn't write all (any?) of his own lyrics. Da Brat has written for Jermaine Dupri. (no comment!) And didn't Nas write some stuff for Will Smith one of Will's latest albums? Who knows how many other examples are out there. This raises several questions for me. Why aren't singers and musicians held to the same standard as rappers? Musicians aren't chastised if they play music that they didn't compose. Great singers aren't ridiculed for singing the words of someone else. Would it be better if the liner notes explicitly said 'written by XYZ', instead of trying to be stealth about it? (For that matter, does the average person even read the liner notes?) Is writing your own lyrics an essential part of being a true MC? Is that part of what differentiates an MC from a rapper? Will the stigma ever go away? Update: Here's an article describing the differences between rappers and MCs/Emcees. Here's a snippet: Rappers make rap records and are in the game for the sole purpose of monetary gain and fame. They have no love for the microphone or hip-hop, which consists of 4 elements - D.J.ing, Emceeing, Graffiti and Break Dancing!!! ... If both were to get on the mic at a jam out side and the d.j. is playing breakbeats , the m.c. will tear the rapper ass up because he is in his domain his arena and he will not only rock rhymes he will rock the party; showcase the d.j. with no gimmicks no hype man, no dancers just him and his gift of gab. The rapper will say some good rhymes that is probably in record form, meaning it will be 16 or 24 bars and will feel very uncomfortable up there by himself, no dancers, no security and no hype man and to top it off if the record skips he,the rapper will stop and look at the d.j. or search for the soundman. The m.c. will stutter back on track... Last but not least m.c.s roll with other m.c.s, rappers roll with body guards and entourages and stay stuck in v.i.p. rooms. (Originally posted on Move the Crowd) Music7291@blogcritics.org Mon, 28 Jul 2003 17:31:21 EDT