[Strawbale] Photos: Always Becoming / Steens (...and free MP3s)

[Mark Piepkorn]

I uploaded a PDF of 28 photos and some links to
http://www.potkettleblack.com/natbild/steens-smithsonian/
At 12+MB, it's a good-sized download - too big for the SB-R-us 
folder-place. If RT wants to find a way to smallerize, please have at 
it. The file is called "always-becoming."

The sculptures are on a heavily trafficked street a couple blocks 
from the Capitol - you look up, and there it is. I think it's 
Independence Avenue, actually... interesting. Lots of tourists 
walking by, snapping pictures, asking questions.

Sarah's been working with them, and taking a lot more photos than me. 
When she gets hers posted somewhere, I'll pass along a link. I've 
just been hanging out, getting in the way - chat some, wander off, 
come back and get underfoot some more. I missed Dan Smith by a day, 
pity. Frank Meyer showed up, then came back and graced us with a 
couple tunes yesterday morning.

I haven't seen the Steens for years, and they're every bit the treat 
they've always been. Whether in person, by email, on the phone, even 
second-hand, I've never had an interaction with them where I didn't 
end up inspired and at least a little smarter.

- - - - -

And for anybody who gives half a hoot about that free-MP3 thing from 
a couple weeks or so back, here's what happened: I signed up (yes, of 
course, you have to give them credit card info), downloaded 50 songs 
over a few days, then canceled without difficulty in about three mouse clicks.

The service only offers independent artists and labels, so it's 
really about musical adventure. There are some big names, but it's 
mostly a wide array of stuff you've never heard of - lots of which is 
really, really good. I've put together a big MP3 of 45-second samples 
of the songs I downloaded, if anybody wants a taste of what's 
available. It's a 34MB file, at
http://www.potkettleblack.com/TEMPORARY/45secs.mp3

Not everybody will like all of it - my picks ranged from The Andrews 
Sisters to The Residents, from Duane Eddy to Captain Beefheart, with 
great whacks of world music, pop-punk, even Allen Ginsberg reading 
Howl. I'll leave it up for a week or two. Here's a list, 
alphabetically by title, followed by the original post in case you 
don't know what I'm talking about and want to know:

Awa Ewe Iwoyi - Ebenezer Obey
Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Bena Kazembe Balitumpa - Edward Kalunga
Charleston, The - Spike Jones
Chatterbox Rag - Paragon Ragtime Orchestra
Country Open, The - The Jazz Mandolin Project
Dance of the Hours - Spike Jones
Ek Ladki Ko Dekha - 1942 A Love Story
Esa Morena - Ozomatli
Firecracker Firecracker - Half Japanese
First and Royal Queen, The - Lounge Lizards
Heart Of Heaven, Heart Of Earth - Tulku
Hope I Never Lose My Wallet - Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Howl - Allen Ginsberg
I Dream of Wires - Gary Numan
I Got a Thing, You Got a Thing, Everybody's Got a Thing - Funkadelic
I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow
In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry
Jogi - Panjabi MC
Journey To The Centre Of The Earth - Rick Wakeman
Kahawi'tha - Joanne Shenandoah
Kalan Nege - Issa Bagayogo
Kassi Koun - Abdoulaye Diabate
Ker Tolgoo - Samara Tokhtakunova
King Porter Stomp - Benny Goodman
La Diosa De Las Aguilas - Jorge Reyes
Ladies On The Steamboat - Burnett And Rutherford
Laughing Song - The Residents
Livery Stable Blues - Original Dixieland Jazz Band
Lufuala Ndonga - Konono Number 1
Magissa Thessaloniki - Mario
Mon Metier - Christopher Bock
Mooncoin Jig, The - Steeleye Span
Nata furu - Dieneba Seck
Origin Of Love - Hedwig and The Angry Inch
Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band
Rebel Rouser - Duane Eddy
Shepherd's Dabke - Drum Circle
Song to the Siren - This Mortal Coil
Sugarfoot Stomp - Harry James
Sukie In The Graveyard - Belle and Sebastian
Susie Q - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Tahityb - World Tribe
Temperatura - Ozomatli
That's a Plenty - Eddie Condon
Third Uncle - Bauhaus
Too Much Too Little - Fred Frith
Well All Right - The Andrews Sisters
When Big Joan Sets Up - Captain Beefheart
Where the Hell is Bill - Camper Van Beethoven


>Just came across this. While I do know Joe Kennedy - a key 
>participant - from times back, I'm not affiliated with the 
>organizations or individuals involved. Get free MP3s while 
>supporting a good cause utilizing natural building.
>
>- - - - -
>
>By taking part in the free song promotion, users benefit NextAid's 
>flagship project, the building of an environmentally friendly 
>residential village for orphans in the rural town of Dennilton, 
>South Africa, located two hours northeast of Johannesburg. Since the 
>ground breaking in July 2005, a team of ecological architects and 
>experienced natural builders have constructed five buildings and 
>supporting structures, including a performance space, composting 
>toilets, outdoor energy-efficient kitchen and seating area, two 
>earth-bag offices, and a straw bale children's house. The 
>multi-purpose center serves as a safe home for 50 children orphaned 
>by AIDS and a living laboratory of best practices for future 
>projects throughout Africa.
>
>NextAid, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of African 
>children orphaned as a result of AIDS, has launched a new affiliate 
>partnership with eMusic, the #1 independent music site, offering 
>music lovers around the globe the chance to download songs for free, 
>while benefiting a worthy cause. In this on-going promotion, eMusic 
>is donating to NextAid $8 for every person who signs up for a free 
>trial account at www.emusic.com/nextaid. Once registered, users can 
>select up to 50 songs from eMusic's impressive library of over two 
>million tracks, to download free of charge within a two week period. 
>Songs can be transferred to any MP3 player or iPod.
>
> From -
>http://www.avrev.com/news/0607/05.nextaid081.shtml
>
>
>More on NextAid -
>http://www.nextaid.org/



Mark Piepkorn
www.potkettleblack.com

If anyone thinks that the one's insight exceeds the
other's, he has no eyes.
  - Mumon