Update: You can check out the second part in my podcast series with Michigan-based hip-hop artist One Be Lo over at Imagine2050.org. Today we’re talking about hip-hop identity and American identity as we continue our exploration of the question, “What does it mean to be American.” Listen!
If in your travels around the web you pick up some kind of virus or what not that switches your desktop image with the image to the left and then continually warns you about your a/v codecs being corrupted, Don’t Believe It! It’s a total scam! In most cases the “Update Now” is a hyper-link to a web site trying to sell you some kind of “security” software (currently one of the sites is wincodecpro.com). Don’t give them your credit card info or anything like that. IT’S A SCAM! Instead, enjoy the next many hours undoing all the things their little program does to your system. Here are my findings that should assist you in recovering:
1) Look for any new folders in your ‘Program Files’ directory (such as one called Media System). And delete it! Warning be sure this is not part of a program folder that you want! So, what you should find in this folder are three files: a)a .gif file; b)an .htlm file; c) and an .exe file (likely named wmptray.exe). Open the gif file and html and see what they are. You should be able to tell if they are legit or not.
2) Do an anti-virus scan and malware/adware scan. Install a firewall (i.e. ZoneAlarm) and do not allow wmptray.exe to access any websites other than something at microsoft.com!
3) Your ‘Task Manager’ may get disabled so you will likely have to use a program like the Eusing Free Registry Cleaner to view your start up programs. Again, look for the link C:\Program Files\Media System\wmptray.exe and disable this. As far as getting your ‘Task Mangager’ back? I haven’t figured it out quite yet so if you have any knowledge please post a reply to help me and others who fall into this trap.
Good luck.
I just posted my newest “Imagine 2050″ podcast which is from my visit to Tempe, Arizona last week. It’s a short interview with hip-hop artist One Be Lo talking about music, youth and empowerment. Check it out!
I’m currently transferring the soundboard ‘tape’ I got from the “Stop the Circus. Stop Arpaio” hip-hop show I covered in Tempe, Arizona this week. I’m happy with the sound; it ain’t perfect but there are some very usable pieces to post. So, stay tuned as I’ll be posting some awesome sh*t from show for your listening pleasure. Sheriff Joe’s guys say he’s not concerned but Arizona’s young people showed a strong and positive force this week and I recommend that Joe start looking for a new job because the people coming up in AZ aren’t going to stand for his racist ways. Serious!
http://www.verbalkent.com/
http://www.myspace.com/wordsworth
http://www.myspace.com/onebelo
I’ve spent the past few days in and around Phoenix, Arizona working with a group called Campaign for a United America Hip-Hop Project. The group itself is based out of Chicago, IL but has been working here to connect with the vibrant, grassroots hip-hop scene. Why hip-hop? Well, it’s one of the largest voices of the youth and one that has consistantly spoke against authoritarian abuses of power. And while not always “political” it is most often a deeply personal expression. But then, as the popular saying goes, “the personal IS political.”
Anyways, I was documenting the organizing efforts of the young people in Phoenix as they organized a hip-hip concert in support of human rights and in opposition to the recent anti-immigrant violence from Sheriff Joe Arpaio (for more visit the Imagine2050 blog). It’s been a whirlwind ‘tour’ here and I look forward to going over my tape once I get back home tonight. Below is a link to a VERY rough little “promo” piece I threw together for the event. Check it!
Click HERE to listen.
Click HERE for original posting.
Maximum respect to all the folks I met out here! Seriously, you all give me a ton of hope!!!
This morning I’m heading to Phoenix, Arizona to cover a hip-hop show being put on by the Campaign for a United America Hip-Hop Project. The show is in protest to the most recent and outrageous actions of local Sheriff Joe Arpaio who chained together 100′s of incarcerated immigrants and marched them through public streets into a “tent city” in the middle of the desert. Arpaio invited media and the public to witness this public humiliation. I’ll be producing several pieces from this event; some of which will be audio-blogged at www.imagine2050.org in the next couple of days.
Click HERE for a link to the event flier.
I was browsing through my new favorite web site “instructables.com” and came across this really interesting demonstration for making your own microphone pre-amp. You see awhile back a friend and I started working on a project of making our own “piezo disc” microphone and a pre-amp from schematics provided by sound artist Richard Lerman. He’s done some really cool stuff so check him out. But we got a little bogged down trying to create the pre-amp from the directions Lerman offers. This leads me to this mornings find.
At Instructables.com is a demonstration (see below) that shows you how to make a cheap microphone pre-amp. This particular project came out of a test that an audio teacher did with his class seeing if people could tell which of 3 pre-amps was the most expensive and which was the cheapest (ranging in cost from $5-$1500). Can YOU tell? You may (or may not) be all that surprised by the findings. Hopefully this will get my own project back on course…
As most any independent artist does I had a day job to pay bills. That “day job” was at a local store called Elephant Pharmacy (www.elephantpharm.com). Since the beginning of January there has been a growing rumble of serious financial troubles. Products not being restocked, no new DVD rentals being offered, displays disappearing permanently, etc. This morning I got THE call…the below pretty much sums it up:
February 3, 2009
It is with a heavy heart that we post this notice: Elephant Pharm, which has served over 1 million customers in four Bay Area markets, has closed indefinitely. As a small business, we’ve been hurt by the terrible turn the economy has taken and the tightening of the credit market. It’s been a very special six years since we started this drugstore revolution, and we certainly couldn’t have made it as far as we did without you—our customers.
We hope that you will continue your pursuit of a good, long life, well lived.
http://www.elephantpharm.com/closed
Not that I planned on working at this place forever but it was a solid little gig, good people, and a cool business…with the mighty words of Steel Pulse I am engulfed by unemployment:
And the struggle goes on—
Some say the earth
Will keep on turning
Dread times are near
And I’m not joking I a warning
As we continue that same old moaning
The chosen race just keep on begging yeh
And I wanna know who’s responsible?
They don’t give a damn no
Here’s an interesting bit of audio that someone uploaded online. Apparently there was a “police action” recently in near-by downtown Berkeley where shots were fired. Downtown Berkeley is not a big urban city place so this is a bit unusual and scary. The weirdist thing is there was really no coverage of the story in any local papers. Thanks to qik.com (a service that lets users upload video/audio via cell phone).
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