text:
I found this interview from 1980 pretty interesting, it talks about their studio, recording techniques and a bit about live shows.
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A Session With Journey - Interview
Any discussion related to Journey
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- Bellairepark73
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Re: A Session With Journey - Interview
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Re: A Session With Journey - Interview
It works for me but here is the text anyway:Bellairepark73 wrote::shock: This link is no longer up and/or working. Do you have a working link?
Journey is a five-piece band, with Neal Schon on guitar; Gregg Rolie, keyboards; Steve Smith, drums; Ross Valory, bass; Steve Perry, vocals. Journey is also much a team effort, not only on a musical level, but also on a recording and management level.
The first feeling I had when walking in to do this interview was that I was dealing with professionals: no-one was stoned out, appointments were promptly kept, and even during the interview, the recording process rolled smoothly along.
Production and engineering chores are shared by Kevin Elson and Geoff Workman, although it seemed to me that Kevin is more production oriented while Geoff concentrates on the engineering. While Kevin had never produced any albums entirely by himself prior to this project, his engineering work on Lynyrd Skynyrd's Street Survivors, demo work with .38 Special and Molly Hatchet and particularly his handling of Journey's "live" sound for the past several tours certainly qualified him for working on Departure, the group's sixth album. Geoff Workman has worked extensively with producer Roy Thomas Baker; his list of engineering credits includes an amazing array of albums from early King Crimson to Queen, Foreigner, Journey, the Cars, and numerous others. Second engineer Ken Kessie rounds out the production team.
Kevin is articulate, deliberate, and clearly gives a lot of thought to how to best realise a particular sound. Geoff, on the other hand, has that glint-in-the-eye characteristic of any mad scientist. He would much rather twiddle knobs than talk about how he twiddles knobs. In fact, the first thing he said when he came in for the interview was that if Kevin had told me what I needed to know, that was fine with him and he wouldn't be miffed if he were left out of the story. He keeps a low profile, and being called something like a "super engineer" would probably embarrass him more than anything else. Before letting him get back to recording, though, I did manage to get some interesting comments concerning the recording process. Geoff is not a person whose words translate easily onto the printed page. The words come out in big enthusiastic clumps that may, or may not, have anything to do with the question being asked. But this didn't strike me as a sign of flakiness; rather, this guy is a likeable pro who doesn't give a damn about publicity and is secure in his own abilities and attitudes.
The members of Journey were happy with the way things were going in the studio. There was no evidence of friction or malaise, and everyone seemed pretty loose. When Neal walked in with some new guitar gadgets, everyone paused long enough in their work to be properly appreciative. Considering that Journey has developed its following through constant touring and persistent management as opposing to cashing in on a hit single and burning out, this type of closeness and professional attitude seems appropriate. But now they have a hit single too ("Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'," which became a hit eight months after it had been released), and the future is looking very bright indeed for this San Francisco-based band.
Modern Recording: Did you feel any need to change the Journey "sound," or is the current project a continuation of previous albums?
Kevin Elson: The last couple of albums have been mainly vocal oriented. My background is more as a straight ahead rocker. In past Journey albums, I've felt the bass and drums didn't stand out well enough and were not properly heard in the mix. This album also represents more facets of the band, because they enjoy playing lots of different music. There's real good rock, some ballads, a little blues, some jazz this album is a departure in the sense that there's more variety of material. A lot of solos, and even some vocals, have been done "live" so there's more of a feel. We're not as picky as in the past; if something feels good, we go with it. All the musicians are happy with the results of this approach.
MR: Journey had a lot of success with [producer] Roy Thomas Baker at the helm and I would think there would be a tendency to go with a proven winning combination. How did you come to be the band's producer for this project?
KE: I came into it because I was doing their "live" sound, and I started doing some "live" tapes. They came out really well, so CBS decided to put out some "live" material for the FM stations, and the response was good. Also, the band didn't care for the mastering on Evolution and some of the singles, so I re-edited "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" and re-mastered it. I got a different sound that they were real happy with. When it came time to talk about producers, the band decided that they wanted myself and one other person to collaborate closely on getting the album together. The other person was Geoff Workman, who at that time was working with Roy Thomas Baker on the Foreigner album.
MR: Was Geoff co-producer with Roy on that album?
KE: No, he worked strictly in an engineering capacity and Roy was the producer, period. Geoffrey had no say in the production, but he did the bulk of the work and we felt he was responsible for the sound. I've worked with some really good producers and have seen how the input of a producer works, so when it came time to make a decision, I definitely wanted to work with Geoffrey not only because of his talents, but also because of his all around attitude and good humour. We finally put the production package together in September of '79.
MR: So you feel much of production involves attitude . . .
KE: Yes. Both Geoff and I come from a non-technical background; in fact, we both started out as keyboard players. I've always been concerned primarily with the sound, and didn't care what it took to get the sound I wanted.
MR: Do you feel your musical background is helpful, or does it get in the way of being a more effective producer?
KE: It's helpful. I feel that the people who have written a song know what they're looking for better than anyone else. I try to bring out the best possible performance from the players. The main thing is that with a musical background, there's an easy relationship with the musicians. Say, when Gregg is looking for a unique sound, I can understand what he's talking about because I've been in that position before. It's also easier to relate musician-to-musician in terms of getting a good bass and drum sound.
MR: So you're pretty much in an equal position with the players, it's not "the producer as God?"
KE: Oh yeah, exactly. We discuss everything. If Geoff and I have an idea, we'll try it, and if it doesn't make it, we'll move on. I was involved in the pre-production, so things were well prepared before we even went into the studio. We haven't had to stray much from our original ideas.
MR: Why did you choose to record at the Automatt [Recording Studios, San Francisco]?
KE: Journey had done the last two albums in Los Angeles, but didn't feel real comfortable because they had to be so scheduled. So, last summer their management talked with David Rubinson (the Automatt's owner). One of the best things about the studio is that it has an excellent "live" room that we wanted to use. At that time, that room had a rented Neve [console] and was in the process of being refurbished. They ended up selecting a Trident console, which also worked in our favour since Geoffrey was very familiar with it. The Automatt has what we wanted: a good room, good board, good outboard equipment and good people. The only change I mad . . . well, I didn't particularly care for the monitors. So I brought in some JBL 4350s, which I'm really used to hearing. That was the only real change.
MR: You don't feel you have to go to L.A. or New York to get a good sound?
KE: No, not at all. The Cherokee room in L.A. is a good-sized room, but it's a little smaller than the one we're using now and we had to do things like tear down equipment between sessions. Here we don't have to worry about that.
MR: How did you prepare for the recording of the album?
KE: It all started on the road with collecting songs and album ideas. Once the ideas were down, we'd rehearse them during sound checks. We came into the studio with nineteen songs and put down fourteen basic tracks. We'll select eleven for the album without getting into too much of a time problem.
MR: Was any material worked out in home studios beforehand?
KE: Yes, Neal Schon has an 8-track system at his house using a Teac 80-8 with a Sound Workshop board. We endorse Electro-Voice products, so they supplied us with microphones and such, which helped keep the cost down. With what we're doing here mixed on a cassette, Neal can transfer the cassette over to his 8-track and experiment with guitar leads, check out harmonies and things like that to see what will work. That saves time, which is one thing you want to do with expensive studios. It really is important for a band to be well prepared that's what pre-production is all about.
MR: Are you trying for any particular "sound," like a thick sound or a bright sound?
KE: Not really, we're just trying to come up with the best sound for each song. Without a doubt you'll know that every cut is a Journey cut, but we're not looking for anything anyone has done before. Some songs need more vocals, some more bass; we concentrate on whatever makes the song stand out.
MR: Do you therefore approach recording as more of a documentary of the "live" sound?
KE: The attitude of this band is that we want to be able to reproduce this material "live" like it sounds on the record. We don't want to do outrageous sound effects, or overdo it on banks of vocals and guitars. Our approach is towards making the best quality record, so we do use the studio where appropriate; after all, playing "live" compensates for any little extras you use on an album to get the sound across. But we won't have an orchestra come in to do string parts, we'd rather use synthesizers.
MR: I understand Roy Thomas Baker has a very different approach, going for a big sound with massed vocals and such. Did the band not like that? Or did they go for it initially, then change their minds when they had to play it "live"?
KE: They liked it at the time, because it fit the material they were writing then. We could try that now and it would probably work well with some of the cuts. They were happy with the ideas Roy had . . . that's a hard question to answer, really. What I think he did best was handling the vocals, since he brought out the vocal lines very well. Steve (Perry) has a lot of his own ideas, but Roy's contribution was to integrate the voice well with the band.
ME: Journey has always stuck me as going for a powerful type of sound. How do you translate power into the restricted range of an album?
KE: Basically, we try to record very hot; we use a lot of room miking to get the ambient quality of the room, which is another reason why we go for the big room. We put as much level as we can on the tape, which makes it a bit stronger and puts the sound right up front. With close miking sometimes the sound is too separated. It works well with some records, but it's not the right approach for this time around.
MR: Geoff, how do you feel about close miking?
Geoff Workman: I'd sooner have a band utilise the whole room and have close visual contact so that they don't feel like they're sitting in a box somewhere. In that respect, you sacrifice separation . . . but I like to use a lot of room mics anyway, maybe four room mics on a drum kit. Obviously that's going to pick up some bass and guitar, but that's an integral part of the overall sound, and to try to eliminate it seems rather pointless.
I've been using distant miking techniques for as long as I've been engineering; one mic in front of an instrument doesn't always capture the sound you want, although it's fine for some material. I couldn't see, for example, a Steely Dan or Earth, Wind and Fire record approached in the same way I approach recording. My technique matches the bands I work with.
MR: Do you mix the ambient sound onto separate tracks?
KE: We have stereo front and stereo back ambience tracks, and we also have an ambient guitar track in addition to the close miking track.
MR: Geoff, do you have problems with print-through or leakage with high recording levels?
GW: I've never run into those problems, even with the Stevens 2", 40 track. If you isolated every single track, you might find something bleeding through; but no more so than you'd get from the mic bleed. No one's going to hear it.
MR: Do you agree that tape saturation sometimes gives character to a sound?
GW: If you record a snare drum and really crank it on there, the limitations of the tape and tape electronics become part of the sound. A lot of times this sound is desirable.
MR: So you'll trade off feedthrough for feel anytime .
KE: Well, we figure that if we still feel it after hearing the thing so many times during recording, then when people hear the album, hopefully they'll feel what we felt. Most of the basic tracks are done "live," and so are some of the solos and vocals.
MR: How do you cope with hearing the same pieces of music over and over again?
KE: It does get a bit ragged sometimes, which is a good time to walk out of the room and play a game of pinball! We decided to do the basics by giving a couple of shots at the songs we had planned to do that day; if it didn't work out after a couple of tries, we'd move along to the next song. If it didn't happen, we figured we'd get it another day. We moved along really quickly, and did fourteen basic tracks in fourteen days.
MR: No "take 39"?
KE: No, a lot of what we have is first- and second-take stuff. We'd go ahead and try a 3rd or 4th take to see if we could get a better feel, but things would actually decline after that point. We took a pretty carefree attitude. We'd see how the band felt when they came in; if they were in a joking mood, we'd do a rocker. If they were half asleep or kind of relaxed, we'd do more of a ballad type of thing. It all relates back to a feel and closeness between producer and artist. We hang out together, we go out drinking afterwards together.
MR: Do you think your attitude has been influenced by the New Wave backlash that regards rawness and intensity as more important than perfection?
KE: Well, I don't know . . . maybe after the very disciplined type of approach Roy used in the past, I think the band was ready for a change. I've always had that type of attitude anyway and so has Geoff.
MR: When do you schedule your sessions?
KE: Our rehearsal schedule was 10am to 3pm, although we go a little longer in the studio. Journey is comprised, pretty much, of early people; they're not real blazers, where they go to 3 or 4 in the morning. They like to use the daytime, when there's the most energy, and have the night off to do whatever they want to do. If you've got business to do during the day and then go into the studio, you'll be worn out. We felt a daytime schedule would give the most productivity.
MR: Since you don't have much of a technical background, what do you do to keep up with the state-of-the-art? Do you find yourself omitting options because you were not aware of them at the time?
KE: I constantly deal with people who are updating equipment because of the "live" work I do, and it's much the same thing as working in the studio in terms of equipment. I learn more from working with things than I do from reading about them. I'd like to know more, but just don't have the time to really study up on that type of training. I think if I did, I might tend to record in a way where I would think too technically. You know, not trying something because I've been told it's the wrong thing to do. A lot of the people I associate with will say try this or try that, so I get a lot of word-of-mouth learning. Geoff, of course, works year round in the studio, so he's up on all the latest gear. Neither of us can tell you how something works, but we know how to use it.
MR: Geoff, how do you feel about electronic effects?
GW: The electronic effects that are available now at the touch of a switch are very good, but you don't come close to the effects you used to get by working over a 4 track all day. Nothing will every re-create the sound of true tape phasing (flanging), or a tape machine going at 60 ips for a DDL effect. Electronic effects just don't seem to have the character of what you are able to get with tape.
Ohm's law is of no consequence to recording music, and I even lose track of microphone model numbers and all that. I'm always willing to prostitute a certain piece of equipment, short of damaging it, such as creating a fuzz sound by cranking the mic gain. Engineers who disagree would tell me you can't do that, it will distort! But of course, that's what I wanted to do that was the noise I wanted. What's happening now with university courses and all that is that you're going to end up with a glut of engineers who are brilliant theory-wise but it's the two flaps on the sides of your head that count. Your ears, not a machine, should analyse the sound of a room. I always carry a reference tape with me of something I know well, like the last project I worked on, then I let my ears tell me how the studio affects that tape.
MR: So it's not that important what type of equalisers and other equipment you use, then
GW: Oh, I use a lot of EQ, sometimes more than a lot of people would think is necessary. I'll boost a particular frequency on record and on playback, for example. But if it sounds right, it's fine. I don't go back and feel ashamed because I added 19dB or something. The way I adjust the parametrics on this board is I just pull everything out, and sweep everything until I can find the frequency I'm looking for so I can boost it or cut it. I don't predict, "That must be between 800 Hz and 1.2kHz" and work from that premise.
MR: Did your career begin with 4-track recording?
GW: I started engineering in 1968, and that was straight stereo on a lot of dates. Then 4 track, ping-ponging and all that. The first King Crimson album was all done on an 8 track, with humongous amounts of bounding back and forth, back and forth, then mixing it down into stereo and hand syncing it back into the track again. That's probably why I find splicing tricks and stuff like that to be real easy. My forte was chopping up pieces of tape, and putting them in backwards, or using tape phasing, or whatever.
MR: Many engineers who started on 16 track can't do things like that .
GW: People still don't realise the easiest way to get backwards tape on some machines is to lift the tape and put it around the back of the capstan and in front of the pinch roller. As long as you have someone there paying attention to the tape motion, and you disable the erase head, this is a lot easier than flipping the tape over, changing the monitor balance and figuring out which track is which when the tape is backwards.
MR: Are you using any noise reduction on this project?
KE: We're not using any at all. Running the tape at 30 ips and recording louder music means you don't really need noise reduction all that much.
GW: When Dolbys first came out, they were w necessity because recorders and tape weren't all that good. But as tape became better and better, and machine became better, the need for noise reduction was reduced especially with rock material. There's nothing recorded at a low level that's going to be prominent in the mix later.
MR: What about limiting?
KE: We use a combination of Urei Compex and dbx.
MR: How do you choose one over another for a given application?
KE: They all have readily identifiable "sounds". The Urei has a harder sound that works well with guitar and keyboards. Dbx on the bass gives a rounder, punchier sound and the Compex works great with vocals. Why, I don't know.
MR: How do you define a "good sound" for limiting vocals?
KE: Well, you don't hear the real limiting happen. It's very smooth as it limits; you don't hear any sucking. Steve (Perry) has a lot of range and can hit some real strong notes, so you need a limiter that's not obvious.
MR: I take it you're not a purist who feels limiting destroys the sound.
KE: I'd prefer to ride gain with someone like Ronnie Van Zandt because he sang in pretty much the same dynamic range. That's what I do with Steve "live", but it doesn't work out too well in the studio. With the Urei, you could hear him hitting. I don't think it was our doing. I just think that different devices have different sounds.
MR: How do you record the drums?
KE: We're using Sennheiser 421 microphones on the toms, because they accentuate the sound. A lot of people will use the Shure SM56, but for the toms we like the Sennheisers better. We used 56s on the snare.
MR: How does your mic selection process work? Do you have certain mics you like, or do you try different ones all the time?
KE: There are certain mics I'll use all the time on drums because they do a good job, but for room miking and guitar miking it will vary quite a bit. I picked up an old AKG D12 on tour in Europe, and it's got a kind of ribbon sound . . . there's a boost at 100 Hz, and it's perfect for a kick drum. Just put it on flat and it's got an amazing sound.
MR: So you'd rather take a mic with personality than use a fairly colourless mic and add equalisation?
KE: Yes, although it also depends on, say, how the drums are tuned. Steve (Smith) is very particular about the tuning of his drums and heads, so that makes mic selection just that much more important. Most of the problems I've found with drummers involve getting snare sounds; some want a real "snare" sound, and others want a boxy midrange sound. I like a fat sound, myself.
MR: Do you use any direct injection?
KE: On the synthesisers we have mics on the amp system he's going through and we have directs. That way we have a choice of what we want to do with the individual sounds. Synthesisers taken direct tend to sound kind of buzzy, whereas a speaker will tend to smooth all that out. The main synthesiser we're working with on this album is the Prophet 5, and it's amazing.
MR: How do you feel it compares to other synthesisers for recording?
KE: Basically, you know what kind of sound it has before you have to start laying it down; there's no patching or other complications. I've never worked with modular systems much.
MR: Does the Prophet have tuning or drift problems?
KE: Yeah. In the higher registers, when you're playing full chording you have to be careful, since the high octave note might flatten out a bit. I don't know if it's the nature of the instrument, or whether this particular one just wants a trip to the shop.
MR: You can always set everything an octave lower and record at half speed the avoid upper register problems.
KE: Well, single notes come out just fine, and Gregg's still using the Mini-Moog for certain sections. It's pretty much a trouble-free instrument.
MR: Are you using Neal's Roland GR-500 guitar synthesiser much on the album?
KE: Yes, we're using it on a couple of background filler-type sounds. When we were in Japan, we got some extra equipment that extended the versatility of the unit. Neal likes gadgets a lot, and loves the GR-500.
MR: Have there been problems in integrating the synthesisers into the tracks?
KE: Actually, it's all falling together pretty naturally. The keyboards and guitars are pretty much clean and up front, and the synthesiser is more or less in the background.
MR: Sort of like a string synthesiser.
KE: Yes.
MR: Are there any special effects you like to use while recording?
KE: Gregg likes an Eventide Harmoniser set at 1.01 with his voice; that's one example. I personally like using tape recorders for delay, because the sound is ultra-clean and natural. Instead of phasing the cymbals, we'll use variable speed delay on the MCI multi-track to give a "wash" of a sound. We use more natural things than actual special effects.
MR: Are you using 24 tracks, or two 24-track machines synched for 48?
KE: 48 tracks was an option, but we felt that id the band knew they had two machines they could keep playing with, things could go on forever. We haven't had to sacrifice anything with the 24, except that we've had to put some vocal tracks on early so we could mass them together without running into track space problems.
MR: What sorts of things do you look for in a board?
KE: One of the most important features to keep the musicians happy is a good cue system. Otherwise, it causes synchronisation problems with the basic tracks if they can't hear each other properly.
MR: Doesn't the Automatt have some kind of special cue system?
KE: Yes, it's called Automix, and it gives each musician four different cues that he can mix. The Trident has a separate monitoring board, with found cue sends that either echo or monitor sends. We'll give the bass one control on the musician's mix box, drums another control, guitar/keyboards the third control and finally vocals get their own control. This allows each musician to get his own personalised cue mix. Our hardest problem in recording the basics was that what came through the headphones was like a transistor radio compared to the sound the band was getting in the room. But for a board, as long as the muting is quiet and there aren't any bad faders . . . as long as the board is clean, you can adapt to different EQ setups and any other minor differences between boards.
MR: Is there any type of EQ you particularly like?
KE: One thing I like about the Trident console is that the slide pots on the parametric Eqs are faster to set up than rotary pots. On Harrison consoles, I like the fact that you can do a lot of basic EQ with the various low and high pass filters, and you don't even need to touch the EQ modules until mixdown.
MR: What type of reverb do you favour?
KE: I personally like a natural room chamber. The best I've ever heard is at Studio One in Atlanta. I can hear a song on the radio and tell by the reverb whether it was done at that studio or not 'cause the reverb sound has a certain edge to it. I asked Rodney Hills (the designer) how he got that sound, and he said it was the first one he had ever done and he had no idea how to recreate it. But if you listen to the Atlanta Rhythm Section, Alicia bridges, or Skynyrd's Street Survivors, there's a certain quality to the chamber that's unmistakeable.
Here at the Automatt, we have stereo EMT, Lexicon digital reverb and a "live" chamber. When we get into mixdown, we'll use the EMT on some of the guitars and room reverb for the vocals.
MR: You mentioned a "live" album earlier. Is this something you've been recording all along, and you'll just have to cut and paste what you want to make the LP?
KE: The "live" tapes started out as sound for a radio show, but the tapes turned out really good. We won't have to do any fixing in the studio. We have about seven reels of tape, and we'll sit on those while we record this tour. Then we'll pick the best from the lot. We're using the same truck for all our recording to get a consistent sound.
The most important thing to me is that I believe you can record a "live" album almost anywhere. To tell you the truth, I prefer a big, boomy hall to get the excitement of the crown and the excitement of the building. The ambient mic placement is particularly important, and I spend a lot of time on that. Also, instead of doing post-production effects, I feed all the effects lines to the mobile truck so I can do all the effects in real time. This means that when it's come time to mix, I mix just like a "live" show because all the tracks and all the effects are there, I think a "live" album is the feel of the audience and the band, so I'm careful not to make the sound too clean.
MR: This relates to the earlier question of how you fit a powerful sound into those little tiny record grooves . . .
KE: It is hard. Mastering is the whole key to the thing, actually. Whatever you do here [in the studio] doesn't matter if you are going to end up with a rotten mastering job.
MR: Do you do the mastering yourself?
KE: No, I supervise the process but wouldn't know how to do it myself. George Marino at Sterling Sound [in N.Y.] does most of the things. I used Artisan in Hollywood for a re-package compilation we just did. I like to get people who want to be the best, who aren't just doing it as a job.
MR: What production tool would you like to be invented from a technological standpoint?
KE: To me, just the ultimate cue system. Studio equipment now is generally superb, and making the musicians happy is the most important consideration, because that's where everything comes from.
MR: When mixing, do you ever use little speakers like Auratones?
KE: Yes, for sure. When we listen to the final basics to pinpoint problems, the Auratones don't hide anything. At high volume with good monitors, it's bound to sound pretty good no matter what. You don't have that happen with Auratones.
MR: Now that you've become so involved in the process of recording, will you continue to do Journey's "live" sound?
KE: I really enjoy doing six months a year in the studio, and the other half of the year on the road doing "live" shows. The "live" side of it is a real challenge.
The P.A. system I use is like a giant studio monitor system no radial horns, just a big paper system that's really smooth. Certain groups sound good on this system, but other groups couldn't use it. Real raunchy groups need 18-inch horns and that overkill radial horn sound. The system I use is from Canada, and was built for Emerson, Lake and Palmer. It's the same system that Yes, Billy Joel and Fleetwood Mac use. From those groups, you can see what's needed in the sound: punch on the drums, good vocals and a clean sound. You can be sitting in the audience on-axis with one of those cabinets and it won't destroy you like a horn would.
MR: That makes me more inclined to see a Journey concert. I'm the type of person who wears cotton in my ears at concerts.
KE: I don't blame you. How much I like a group depends a lot on the system. I've had to mix Journey on horn systems overseas, and Steve's voice hits right in the horn range. It can not even be loud and still kill you.
MR: What would the two of you advise musicians to do to make life easier for the producer?
GW: Oh dear, there's a question. Well, the guys in Journey and me have a lot of running gags going! Seriously though, there are three different categories of producer/client relationship. One is purely business relationship between band and producer, where they don't really meet except through their lawyers. The there's the producer/engineer, but that's a little split for me because I have to do two things at once. The third situation is what we have now, where Kevin works with the band all year round, he knows the equipment, the members, the material, everything. I've worked with Journey on two previous albums, so we all know each other well and there is a particular kind of trust. They know I'll record them well, I know they won't come up with a bunch of bad songs, and Kevin can keep an overall eye on everything. Every project is totally different, so different musicians need to do different things to adjust to different producers. Trust is really a terrible word to use, but that's what it comes down to. The band is putting its career in my hands, but for me, if the album doesn't come off, that doesn't reflect well on my talents.
KE: One thing that would really help the producer is that in rehearsal, the band members should closely examine the rhythm section bass and drums. After getting material, it's good to let everyone else sit out and just listen to the bass and drums, to see if they're locking together right. As soon as things get tense because of uncertainty, the situation gets rough and frustrating. The saving grace is to have every person knowing what each other member is doing. Otherwise, you have to start restructuring in the studio . . . at $150 an hour. If everyone comes in well-prepared, it makes life so much easier.
Steve Perry on Recording Vocals
While Journey is undeniably a team effort, perhaps the most visible member of the group is lead singer Steve Perry, who also shares vocals with Gregg Rolie and the other members of the band. He had some interesting comments on the recording process, which follow below.
MR: How did you decide to be a singer?
SP: I played drums until '71 . . . I was a lead singer/drummer, like Buddy Miles, or the guy in Rare Earth, or the drummer in the Standells if you want to go back that far. Finally, my voice ended up surpassing my drum technique so I decided to be a singer. I play enough guitar to write songs, but I would never play it on stage.
MR: How do you psych yourself up for singing in the clinical confines of the studio?
SP: That's a major problem, and that's why I don't like working with certain producers, things sometimes seemed so sterile with them.
MR: You mean they just sit there and say, "Roll the tape"?
SP: No, that isn't the problem. You open your mouth first time of the day, and Lord knows, your voice would be filled with cobwebs; they push the talkback button with comments like, "That was dreadful." Two or three of those, and my balloon's out of air. The confines of this medium have enough things to psych you out . . . I didn't need to accumulate any new ones.
MR: Why would you work with such producers if you didn't get along all that well?
SP: Well, I'm just the singer! [laughs] There's more than one guy in this band, plus the record label has a secure feeling with a certain type of producer.
MR: Do you prefer doing a "live" vocal and keeping it, compared to over-dubbing?
SP: I do three complete vocal tracks, mix down the best part to a compilation on a fourth track, and let that give direction to the song. Then, I'll go back later and re-sing the track; sometimes it will be kept, sometimes it won't.
MR: Do you find that bouncing destroys some of the continuity?
SP: Well, you have to keep that in mind as you're bouncing.
MR: How did you get interested in studio techniques?
SP: I was working in a studio in Los Angeles as a tape operator, and did that for about two years because I couldn't find a gig. The producer working with me was an engineer there, so after hours we'd work on vocals to try and get me a demo. In the meantime, I was learning a lot about the studio. Prior to that, in my home, I had a two-track and learned a lot about editing and vocal stacking. I had an early sound-on-sound unit, and I'd do tons of ponging . . . back and forth . . . I'd found out about sibilance building up, tiny timing errors, that type of thing . . . what worked and what didn't.
MR: How do you feel about limiting?
SP: I'm very opposed to too much limiting. Geoff will limit a bit, but he gives me the most dynamic range possible. He's also talented at riding the fader, which helps. The limiter doesn't have any smarts when riding gain, but a human does,
MR: Does the whole group sing on choral parts or is it mostly you?
SP: The entire band does a lot of singing. I don't have the same tonal quality as anyone else, so there's a real plus to the sound when you have a number of different singers.
MR: You have a remarkably smooth high range. How do you keep it in shape?
SP: I don't smoke cigarettes or pot to speak of. It's not that I don't dig pot, it's just that smoking has no place in my vocal instrument. Also drinking [alcohol] dehydrates you, and that's the enemy of your vocal cords. Your cords have to be lubricated, so I drink a lot of water.
MR: How did you extend your range?
SP: I can't really explain how my range increased. One day it just was there, and I have no idea how it happened. Sometimes the key to doing something is not thinking about it, and just letting things happen naturally.
MR: Are there any effects you like to have on your voice?
SP: The only thing I really like is a "live" chamber with a warm bottom. I like sibilance through an echo chamber; I prefer sibilance on the chamber sound instead of the basic track. It gives a kind of personal feeling. If you push a note real hard and put it into the chamber, it will hang over for a bit. You can then sing a soft note and the two will harmonise nicely. As far as electronic effects go, I'm not that interested. We'll do things that accentuate what I am, but we won't try to make me something I'm not.
MR: Have you ever felt limited by being self-taught? Do you want to take additional training or voice coaching?
SP: I'm just going to expand on what I'm doing now. If I start getting non-productive, or if my singing slacks off, then I might do something. Voice is difficult; it's temperamental, and it has so many variables. An instrument can sometimes be impersonal, but there's no way you can consider a voice impersonal.
© Modern Recording, April 1980, Cowan Publishing Corp, Vol 5 #7
By Craig Anderton
Modern Recording,
April 1980
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Gardnerian Wicca
A retired British civil servant named Gerald B. Gardner is the 'Grandfather', at the very least, of almost all Neo-Wicca. He was initiated into a coven of Witches in the New Forest region of England in 1939 by a High Priestess named 'Old Dorothy' Clutterbuck. In 1949 he wrote a novel High Magic's Aid about medieval Witchcraft in which quite a bit of the Craft as practiced by that coven was used. In 1951 the last of the English laws against Witchcraft were repealed (primarily due to the pressure of Spiritualists) and Gardner published Witchcraft Today, which set forth a version of the rituals and traditions of that coven. There is an enormous amount of disagreement about virtually every statement I have made in this paragraph.
Gardnerism is both a tradition and a family, and lineage is a family tree. The High Priestess rules the coven, and the principles of love and trust preside. We follow our handed down book more carefully than many others, but we are free to add and improvise, as long as we preserve the original.
We work skyclad, practice binding and scourging, are hierarchical and secretive, therefore we are controversial. We're also controversial because we were first — the first craft tradition in the U. S. and descended from the man largely responsible for starting the craft revival. So, we're called the snobs of the Craft, but I think we're as much fun as anyone else; our parties as good, our jokes as bad.
Each Gardnerian coven is autonomous and is headed by a High Priestess who can turn to her queen (the High Priestess who trained her) for counsel and advice. This maintains the lineage and creates a pool of experienced and knowledgeable leaders and teachers.
Reincarnation and the Wiccan Rede (An it harm none do what you will) are basic tenants of the tradition. Covens are as much as possible composed of male/female pairs for balance. Most working is accomplished with the energy raised by the interaction of the Lord and Lady as represented by the couples in the coven by dancing, chanting, etc.
Like many Wiccan traditions, Gardnerians have three degrees. An American Gardnerian must be of the 3rd degree before she can become a HPS. The HPS/HP are responsible for conducting services (circles), training their conveners, and preserving and passing on Gardnerian Craft. (This material quoted from Converging Paths Newsletter, Kyril, Brita, and Hugh authors.)
A lot of the controversy surrounding Gardnerianism questions the sources of the rituals and other materials, particularly those appearing in print. It is true that Gardner presented these materials as if they were directly from his New Forest tradition. It is clear, however, that whatever materials the coven may have had when he was initiated, Gerald made a lot of changes and added a great deal. Literary sources of the published Book of Shadows include Blake, Kipling, Yeats and Crowley. Much of the published material was written by Doreen Valiente, a member of the coven for a time and later founder of her own groups and author of many excellent books on the Craft.
Gardnerian Witches without doubt do have many materials which have not appeared in print, however, their emphasis on secrecy has made them a punch line in the Wiccan social world. How many Gardnerians does it take to change a light bulb? That's a secret! Their High Priestess will usually be called 'Lady' Soandso and High Priest, 'Lord Whats-his-name'. (This is far more true in the U. S. than it is in England.)
Alexandrian Wicca
As most everyone by now is aware, the Alexandrian Tradition is very close to Gardnerian with a few minor changes. (One of the most obvious ones being that the Alexandrians use the athame as a symbol for the element of fire and the wand as a symbol for air. Most of the rituals are very formal and heavily indebted to ceremonial magick. It is also a polarized tradition and the sexuality of that female/male polarity is emphasized. The ritual cycle deals mostly with the division of the year between the Holly King and the Oak King and several ritual dramas deal with the dying/resurrected God theme. As with Gardnerians, the High Priestess is supposedly the highest authority. However, it is odd that the primary spokespersons for both traditions have been men. (This material provided by Gillan)
Alexandrian Wicca is the creation of Alex Sanders (with his then wife Maxine) who claimed to have been initiated by his grandmother in 1933. It's principal proponents are Janet and Stewart Fararr whose books set forth most, if not all, of the Alexandrian tradition. Contrary to popular belief, the name Alexandrian refers not to Alex Sanders, but to Ancient Alexandria.
Although similar to Gardnerian Wicca, Alexandrian Wicca tends to be more eclectic, and liberal. Some of Gardnerisms strict rules, such as the requirement of ritual nudity, have been made optional by Alexandrian Wicca.
Mary Nesnick, an American initiate in Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions founded a 'new' tradition called Algard. This tradition brings together both Gardnerian and Alexandrian teachings under a single banner. This was possible due to the great similarities between the two traditions.
Dianic Wicca
The Dianic Craft includes two distinct branches:
- One branch, founded in Texas by Morgan McFarland and Mark Roberts, gives primacy to the Goddess in its theology, but honors the Horned God as Her Beloved Consort. Covens are mixed, including both women and men. This branch is sometimes called 'Old Dianic', and there are still covens of this tradition, especially in Texas. Other covens, similar in teleology but not directly descended from the McFarland/Roberts line, are sprinkled around the country.
- The other branch, sometimes called Feminist Dianic Witchcraft, focus exclusively on the Goddess and consists of women-only covens and groups. These tend to be loosely structured and non-hierarchical, using consensus decision making and simple, creative, experimental ritual. They are politically feminist groups, usually very supportive, personal and emotionally intimate. There is a strong lesbian presence in the movement, though most covens are open to women of all orientations. The major network is Re-Formed Congregation of the Goddess, which publishes Of a Like Mind newspaper and sponsors conferences on Dianic Craft.
Celtic Wicca (Church of Wicca)
The Church of Wicca was founded by Gavin and Yvonne Frost. They offer correspondence courses in their brand of Wicca, which is sometimes called Celtic Wicca. The Church of Wicca has just recently begun including a Goddess in their deity structure, and has been very patrofocal as Wiccan traditions go. The Church of Wicca terms itself "Baptist Wicca"
The Frosts call their tradition of Wicca Celtic. To me it seems more of a mixture of high magic and eclectic Wicca, with a smattering of Celtic thrown in. For instance, they use three circles, one within the others, made of salt, sulfur and herbs with runes and symbols between them instead of just one circle. They also insist on a white-handled athame and will not have a black handled one, whereas all the other traditions I have heard or read about use a black handled one. It seems to me the Wicca they practice and teach should not be called Celtic at all; but since a lot of it is made up or put together by them from other traditions they should also give it a made-up name; say Frostism. If you don't have to pay for the course, and have some extra time, it would probably be worth reading just for comparison. (From Circe, who took their correspondence course.)
The Frosts have always been rather more public than most traditions (advertising their course in the Enquirer and similar publications) which has earned them heavy criticism in less public Craft groups.
Georgian Wicca
If one word could best describe the Georgean Tradition, it would be 'eclectic'. Even though the material provided to students was nominally Alexandrian, there was never any imperative to follow that path blindly. George Patterson (the tradition's founder) always said 'If it works use it, if it doesn't, don't'. The newsletter was always full of contributions from people of many traditions. I've always felt Pat's intent was to provide jumping off points for students and members. So even though I can claim initiation into more than one tradition, I'll always consider myself Georgian first: George is greatly missed, may the Goddess watch over him. Bright Blessings, Lord Fafner.
Discordianism (Erisian)
The Discordian or Erisian movement is described as a Non-Prophet Irreligious Disorganization and has claimed The Erisian revelation is not a complicated put-on disguised as a new religion, but a new religion disguised as a complicated put-on. "It all started with the 'Principia Discordia, or How I Found the Goddess and What I Did to Her When I Found Her', a collection of articles and ideas compiled by Greg Hill (Malaclypse the Younger). The central theme is 'Chaos is every bit as important as Order' as illustrated in the story of The Curse of Greyface.
Humor is central to Discordianism, but Discordianism should not be dismissed as a joke. Profound experiences frequently accompany the practice or Erisinaism. It is a perceptual game, one which demonstrates that the absurd is just as valid as the mundane and chaos is just as valid as order. It frees the practitioner from the order games (that most have forgotten are games) to play games with order or games with chaos, or both. The effects of Discordianism upon an individual can be far reaching and amazingly liberating. (Although a great many immature individuals have played at Discordianism and thereby side stepped any chance of spiritual growth whatsoever.)

subset: commoncrawl


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Some move to higher places, others move north or south.
Dragonflies love warmer temperatures.
UK dragonflies have mainly stayed in the south of the country, until recently.
Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum)
Since 1980, 34 out of the 37 British species of dragonfly have expanded their range northwards by an average of 74km.
That is over 2km per year..... nearly 6 metres per day.
For example, the ruddy darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) and the hairy dragonfly, (Brachytron pratense), have moved into north-west England.
For example, the ruddy darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) and the hairy dragonfly, (Brachytron pratense), have moved into north-west England.
This is evidence that the UK's climate is growing warmer.
"So much has happened to dragonflies in Britain since the 1990s that there is a most compelling case for the Government to adopt them as indicators of climate change", said Steve Brooks.
He is a London Natural History Museum research entomologist, with a special interest in the response of freshwater insects to climate change.
Scientists from the University of York found that, on average, living things have "moved uphill" at 12.2 metres per decade.
They are moving away from the equator at 17.6 kilometres per decade.
"These changes are equivalent to animals and plants shifting away from the Equator at around 20 cm per hour, for every hour of the day, for every day of the year.
This has been going on for the last 40 years and is set to continue for at least the rest of this century."Dr I-Ching Chen said:
"We have for the first time shown that the amount by which the distributions of species have changed is correlated with the amount the climate has changed in that region."
I-Ching Chen and her colleagues discovered that moths had on average moved 67 metres uphill on Mount Kinabalu in Borneo.
The Comma butterfly has moved 220 kilometres northwards from central England to Edinburgh, in only two decades.


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Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Miami Beach Gay Pride
After the earlier suit I'm ever so slightly disappointed that his outfit for the performance is comparatively conservative. I mean, if there's a time and place to get all creative with Zodiac-style OTT bare-chest with spray-on-leggings and said codpiece then this is surely it? He's opted for a leopard print T-shirt under a sleeveless leather top and black combats with glittery blue belt. He's without a live band and although he's joined on the tiny stage by dancers Johnny and Terrance, it does affect the energy somewhat. When there's a backing track that can't be adjusted around him during the performance, the freedom to ad-lib is limited.
A remix of NCOE is played after Adam's introduction so I do wonder whether he missed his cue and was originally meant to perform it. He starts with Trespassing and from the off, he's fierce and crotch-grabby. There are variations in the melody as he opts to go for some lower notes but the ringing glory note belt is magnificent. Naked Love is next and I can't quite tell from the sound quality whether the backing track has been remixed into something less pop and more beat-driven dance. Terrance and Johnny bring on a couple of topless guys to gyrate around, making this altogether a lot saucier than usual and Adam mischievously gives one of them a nipple-tweak. It looks like Johnny has more fun with his than Terrance though. A very celebratory and joyful performance. Next up is Pop That Lock sung with attitude and Adam proves he has the moves. The big notes are fantastic once again. I find WWFM a rather surprising choice with which to end the set. The energy of this one is a step down from the others and Adam is on his own. He comes up with yet another lovely new way to sing "I need a second to breathe, Just keep coming around". Timely fireworks come in just at the crescendo as he wails his way to the finish.
4 comments:
Oh, how I've missed your words. A nice review of the performance and I agree with you whole heeartedly on all points, especially the choice to sing WWFM as a closer. Thanks for the post. @phoenixmummyReplyDelete
- Anonymous17 April 2013 at 01:47
Was in second row at the barricade and thought the energy was high, Adam was VERY late ! surprise surprise! but Terrance entertained behind some speakers and we could actually watch Adam finalizing his outfit in the Trailer! Loved the venue, had a great time!Literally ran into Adam returning to Tides, he was all smiles ,very gracious!ReplyDelete
i like Miami Beach Gay Pride event and This time its going to be held on Miami. so lets ready for gay party Miami.Join us at LGBT Mud Run which is a unique, adventures and fundraiser event created to support the LGBT community.This was to be one of a number of LGBT events really let loose and perform in the true spirit of the event, codpiece and all.ReplyDelete
Oh, how I've missed your words. A nice review of the performance and I agree with you whole heeartedly on all points, especially the choice to sing WWFM as a closer. Thanks for the post.ReplyDelete
Gold für WOW
Gold für World of Warcraft


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All About Baby
You may not have conceived yet, but your body is still preparing for a potential pregnancy. Every time you ovulate, the lining of the uterus thickens. If no fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus, the lining sheds (menstruation). When you do conceive, your healthcare provider will ask for the date of your last menstrual period (LMP) to calculate your due date.
Physicians factor in the two weeks before conception into your delivery date. That means you get a two-week bonus toward your pregnancy — so if you're sure you know when you're baby was conceived and your healthcare provider puts the pregnancy start date a couple weeks before, not to worry, you're both right!
All About You
You've just finished the last period you'll have for quite some time (we expect) and, in your desire to get pregnant, you probably notice pregnant women and small babies everywhere: on the bus, in the supermarket, at the park. With any luck, this time next year you'll be the proud mama with the baby in her arms and the spit-up on her shoulder.
In the meantime, your vaginal discharge is still quite thick and acidic (an inhospitable locale for runaway sperm), and your body temperature is normal as an egg ripens in your ovaries to be released next week. We know it's weird that week two of your pregnancy actually begins at the end of your menstrual period, before the egg ripens and is released (ovulation) and before fertilization. But soon, about 14 days after the first day of your last period, your body will ovulate. The ovary will release one ripened egg, and the egg will move down into the fallopian tube to wait for her one true mate, a handsome, hearty sperm. That lucky little sperm will have to beat out another million or so in a highly contested race to begin a new life!
This Week: Finding a Healthcare Provider
Months of check-ups, countless pregnancy complaints, and labor and delivery are going to make you and your healthcare provider BFFs. Right? We hope so! Take your time finding a provider who you can connect with and who meets your needs, not just the first one on the list from your HMO or insurance provider profiles.
Step #1: Evaluate Your Preferences
- Man or a woman? For some women gender plays a deciding factor.
- OB-GYN, family practitioner, or a midwife (CNM)?
- What type of care do you want? Do you want to be part of group prenatal care? Or would you prefer a practice with several healthcare providers (meaning that you'll never know which one will show up on delivery day), a smaller practice, or would you like to be under the care of just one physician?
Step #2: Get Referrals from Friends
Once you've considered your own preferences, ask friends for recommendations. Ask why they like their provider, what they don't like, and what they wish they could change. Listen carefully — what works for someone else might not be a good fit for you.
Step #3: Shop Around!
Visit at least two potential providers before you commit. Ask them hard questions in the initial interview and see if they take time to answer you thoroughly, and if their answers feel right. If you want a natural childbirth but your provider feels women who don't opt for an epidural are deluding themselves, she's not for you. If you don't want a C-section but the practice has high C-section rates, that's a red flag. The more comfortable you feel with your provider, the better you'll communicate your needs throughout your pregnancy — and at that all-important moment when it's time to birth your baby.
Got questions about Week 2? Other women have asked this…
Q: What are the early symptoms of pregnancy?
Nauseous? Fatigued? A week late? While those are common early pregnancy symptoms, other factors may be to blame. Read about 11 early signs of pregnancy — and what else could be causing them.
Q: Can I still get pregnant if I'm on antidepressants?
"The biggest risk of taking any medication while trying to become pregnant lies in the possible effects the medication may have on your baby if you do indeed conceive. You can read more about the possible effects of antidepressants here.
Your Partner
Are You Ready for Baby?
Let's get this right out into the open: You can never really be ready for a baby. Sound nerve-wracking? It's not as bad as it seems; after all, how can you be ready for something you've never experienced in your life? How can you be completely prepared for something that will change you and your partner in ways you have no way of knowing ahead of time? The simple answer is, you can't. You can, however, be ready for change, and that's a good goal for new parents-to-be.
The truth is there will always be surprises, things you never expected, reactions that catch you off guard after your baby is born — and there's nothing wrong with that. You don't have to feel equipped to know what to do when your baby is crying in the middle of the night (you'll quickly learn what that cry means, so don't worry). All you need to do is be prepared for change, aware that much of the way your life is right now will be different. Sure that can be scary, but many of those changes will be very good — you just can't know that yet because they haven't happened.
With being ready comes a sense of understanding and acceptance. You may not know what your life will look like, but you know it will not look the same. Realizing you'll need to make adjustments in many areas of your life is really what matters here. It's not as much about being ready for a baby as much as being aware that life will be different with a baby and that you will be able to handle it.


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|STS-131 Shuttle Mission Imagery
high res (1.1 M) low res (88 K)
|ISS023-E-022870 (13 April 2010) --- NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio, STS-131 mission specialist, participates in the mission's third and final session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 24-minute spacewalk, Mastracchio and astronaut Clayton Anderson (out of frame), mission specialist, hooked up fluid lines of the new 1,700-pound tank, retrieved some micrometeoroid shields from the Quest airlock's exterior, relocated a portable foot restraint and prepared cables on the Zenith 1 truss for a spare Space to Ground Ku-Band antenna, two chores required before space shuttle Atlantis' STS-132/ULF-4 mission in May.
Curator: JSC PAO Web Team | Responsible NASA Official: Amiko Kauderer | Updated: 11/13/2012


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Re-Invested in Stevens
As a kid growing up on the Jersey Shore, John "Sean" J. Hanlon IV loved numbers. He memorized the batting averages from the newspaper of his favorite ballplayers every day and imagined himself as a successful businessman one day.
When his grandfather, John J. Hanlon Jr. — an attorney contracted with Stevens for outside legal counsel— strongly encouraged him to apply to the university, it seemed that goal of working in finance might have to wait. But Hanlon took his grandfather's advice and immersed himself in math and science "and the minimal humanities" classes, graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1980.
His boyhood dream of operating a successful financial business? It did eventually come true — and now Hanlon has given back to Stevens in spectacular fashion as thanks, through a significant gift to help establish the new Hanlon Financial Systems Lab. Scheduled to open in spring 2012, the lab will simulate an actual Wall Street trading room. And it will train and inspire finance-minded Stevens graduates to analyze and test solutions to financial questions for years to come.
"My engineering education caused me to want to dig deeper into solving investment problems for investors," explains Hanlon, chairman, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Hanlon Investment Management located in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., and a Stevens Board of Trustees member since December 2010. "I wanted to attempt to provide better investment outcomes. That set me on this path."
Today, Hanlon continues to live at the Jersey Shore with his wife, Cathy, and their two children; sits at the head of a financial services company advising the management of over $3 billion worth of personal and corporate assets; writes about investment strategies for Forbes; and gives generously to Stevens and other philanthropic causes.
"We've done well," Hanlon says about the proprietary investment models he developed and tested during the 1990s and continues to use today.
Engineering financial success
Hanlon didn't jump into finance immediately upon graduating Stevens, but instead developed an interest in it during a two-year stint as a project engineer for the chemical firm Rohm and Haas.
"I knew I wanted to do something beyond being a project engineer, and fortunately, Merrill Lynch saw something in me," he recalls.
Hanlon trained with Merrill at the famous One Liberty Plaza building adjacent to the World Trade Center. Upon completion, he was assigned to a sales position in the financial giant's local office in Atlantic City — a fortuitous assignment for the kid from the Shore.
"I couldn't believe my luck," he chuckles. "I told them, 'You're going to let me begin a career in finance? On the Jersey Shore? Am I dreaming?'"
After 15 years in sales, Hanlon changed course again, deciding to open his own firm. He obtained a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certificate in 1997 and opened Hanlon Investment Management two years later.
Assisted by a then-new research tool called "the Internet," he began spending hours researching, creating and back-testing investment ideas and systems before eventually settling on a blend of modern portfolio theory — a strategy that spreads out risk by diversifying investments — and his own methods, which leap onto positive trends and ride them a few months before leaping back off as they show signs of turning south.
"I trust the math," explains Hanlon. "I'm a numbers guy. We don't worry about the future — what if the price of oil does this, or this guy gets elected, or talking heads start shouting about stock ideas on television. That's just noise to us. As the prices move, we just want to be a part of those moves. We stay out of the business of being long-term forecasters; there are simply too many variables."
Though he originally consulted face-to-face with individual clients, Hanlon quickly identified an alternate business model to deploy his new portfolio management methods: as a service to the rapidly growing industry of independent financial planners and advisors, who needed sound investment models and strategies to present to their clients.
Between 2001 and 2011, his company's assets under management soared from $35 million to over $3 billion. The firm largely avoided the crash of 2008 by converting client holdings completely to cash in June of 2008 and waiting out the dramatic drops on Wall Street. When the trends began to tick up again in March of 2009, Hanlon was liquid and prepared to capitalize by making major investments.
"We essentially broke even in 2008, while the S&P 500 was down 35 percent and some emerging markets were down 50 percent or more," he says. "We did it by trusting the research."
Giving the gift of financial training
In recent years, Hanlon has turned some of his time to philanthropy and corporate guidance. Beyond his work as chairman of the advisory board to the Stevens Financial Systems Center, he also serves on the advisory board for Pershing Advisor Solutions, a Bank of New York Mellon subsidiary broker dealer. He previously served on the advisory board of SunAmerica Securities; as chairman of the Linwood Education Foundation; and as chairman of the Seabrook House Foundation.
Hanlon also increasingly finds himself on the Stevens campus, where he enjoys reconnecting with the place he says shaped his thinking and prepared him for his eventual success.
"All my Stevens professors made an impression on me, and did a wonderful teaching job," recalls Hanlon. "It has been especially refreshing to reacquaint myself with Dick Magee'63, my former fluid mechanics professor, who serves alongside me on the Board of Trustees. Dick has incredible passion for Stevens."
In early 2012, Hanlon unveiled his largest donation yet: a significant gift to establish The Hanlon Financial Systems Lab, a classroom on the fourth floor of the Lawrence T. Babbio, Jr. Center for Technology Management and a keystone piece of Stevens' new Financial Systems Center.
The lab will include the entire accouterments one would expect from a Wall Street trading room—terminals, tightly packed trading desks, tickers. Stevens students will learn quantitative financial methods first-hand, performing the same risk management operations that hedge-fund managers, advisors and planners perform daily. Courses for Stevens graduate programs in financial engineering, as well as Internet and network security, will also utilize and benefit from the lab.
"Financial services is the second-largest industry employing recent Stevens graduates," pointed out Hanlon while visiting campus in January. "Think about that. Basic training in this field is not only important, but essential in this day and age. Stevens has always, and will continue to, understand the marketplace and the skill sets required for our undergraduates to become immediate, valuable contributors to industry.
"This combination of computer science, systems, engineering and investment and finance courses makes our students second to none in terms of education. The Hanlon Lab and the Financial Systems Center will help provide these key skills."
And, he might have added, help inspire the next generation of Sean Hanlons to matriculate, learn at and graduate from Stevens.


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I'm not one of those people that is concerned about protein, or the lack thereof in vegan diets. I've read enough nutrition research to feel confident that it is entirely possible meet our protein needs by eating a healthy diet rich in plants.
Green ones.
Crunch, crunch.
If you're interested in reading an interesting report on protein that dispels some of the "animals only" myth, check out The China Study. It's a goodie.
In spite of not being concerned about protein supplementation, I have to admit that I do enjoy a certain protein powder quite immensely. I'm generally pretty active and have an enormous appetite. Protein-rich foods really fill me up, and sometimes a gal just wants something other than tempeh or almonds.
Enter Sunwarrior Protein. It has a great texture (re: is not chalky), and tastes way less processed than other brands. Besides, whipping up a protein smoothie or snack after a workout makes me feel really tough.
I am woman, hear me slurp.
Or in this case- watch me munch….
…on some homemade protein balls. These are like protein bars, but are easier to shape and are visually similar to donut holes. They taste better than donut holes, in my opinion. Give them a try and let me know what you think.
Protein Snack Balls
- 1/2 C oats, ground into a flour
- 3-4 medjool dates
- 1/4 C almond butter
- 1/4 C coconut
- 1/4 C liquid sweetener (I used coconut nectar, but brown rice syrup or other syrups would work as well)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 C Sunwarrior vanilla protein powder
1. Grind your oats in a high speed blender or food processor
2. Process the dates into a paste. You may need to use a little water to get the dates to break down.
3. Combine the oats, dates and remainder of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
4. Mix until well combined. You can also use a food processor instead of a mixing bowl if you want to make it super easy. When the mixture is well combined, roll into balls and pop them into the fridge or freezer. They taste great both ways.
I've been eating these every day as an after-school snack, and they pack a satisfying punch.


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Galapagos Tortoise
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Testudinidae
Genus species: Chelonoidis nigra
Range: the Galápagos Islands, 600 miles west of Ecuador
Habitat: open, grassy areas to rocky, volcanic outcrops
Conservation Status: Endangered. At best, there are about 10,000 to 15,000 tortoises living today on the islands.
Physical Characteristics: males can reach up to 6 feet (1.83 meters) from head to tail and between 4 and 5 feet (1.22 to 1.53 meters) across the curvature of their shell; females are generally smaller. Males weigh up to about 573 pounds (260 kilograms); females—up to about 300 pounds (136 kilograms). Shell size and shape vary between populations. On islands with humid highlands, the tortoises are larger, with domed shells and short necks - on islands with dry lowlands, the tortoises are smaller, with "saddleback" shells and long necks. The tortoises have a large bony carapace (shell) of a dull brown color. The plates of the shell are fused with the ribs in a rigid protective structure that is integral to the skeleton. Lichens can grow on the shells of these slow-moving animals.[65] Tortoises keep a characteristic scute (shell segment) pattern on their shell throughout life, though the annual growth bands are not useful for determining age because the outer layers are worn off with time. A tortoise can withdraw its head, neck and forelimbs into its shell for protection. The legs are large and stumpy, with dry scaly skin and hard scales. The front legs have five claws, the back legs four.
Longevity: More than 150 years on record. The oldest life span on record belongs to an adult female Galápagos tortoise in an Australian zoo that was documented to be at least 171 years old.
Active Time: Diurnal
Wild: They are herbivores that eat prickly pear cactus (a favorite) and fruits, as well as flowers, water ferns, leaves, and grasses.
Zoo: Carrots, apples, lettuce, and a pre-made tortoise chow
Behavior: Giant tortoises tend to lead a peaceful, lazy life that centers on grazing, relaxing in the sun, or wallowing in water puddles. Because they are cold-blooded like other reptiles, they like to soak up the sun to warm up. At night, they sleep partially submerged in mud, water, or brush to keep warm during cool nights
Reproduction: Galapagos Tortoises reach maturity in 20-25 years in zoos, and 40 years in the wild. Females lay between 2 to 16 eggs, depending on the subspecies. Gestation lasts between 4 to 8 months. In the wild, their breeding season is generally between January and August. After mating, the females begin a journey of several miles (kilometers) to reach nesting areas. They look for dry, sandy ground and dig a hole about 12 inches (30 centimeters) deep. Here they lay hard-shelled eggs the size of tennis balls, then cover them up with sand. Temperature plays a role in whether a tortoise hatchling is male or female: if the nest temperature is low, more males will hatch; if it is high, more females will hatch. When the young tortoises emerge from their shells, they must dig their way to the surface, which can take up to one month! Then it's up to them to survive on their own.
Interesting Facts:
- Las Islas de los Galápagos, or the Islands of the Tortoises, are named for the famed giant tortoises found nowhere else in the world. Galápago is one of the Spanish words for tortoise.
- When a fight breaks out among males, the tortoises face each other, open their mouths, and stretch their heads as high as they can. Whoever is highest wins, even if he is much smaller overall than the other male.
- Although they are massive animals weighing several hundred pounds (kilograms), their shells are not solid. Instead, they are made up of honeycomb structures that enclose small air chambers. This makes it possible for the tortoises to carry the weight of the shell. The shell is also attached to their ribs, so a tortoise cannot "walk out" of its shell.
- The tortoise's lungs are located on the top of its body, under the top dome of the shell, which is why the tortoise can be in trouble if it is turned over—the weight of its body can crush the lungs
Relationship with People:
Today, the greatest threats to the tortoises come from introduced nonnative species to the islands, such as rats, dogs, and cats, which eat tortoise eggs and young tortoises. They also must compete for food with goats and cattle, which causes food shortages. Due to these factors, there are only 10,000 to 15,000 tortoises living today on the islands.


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Oil futures prices rose to near $98 a barrel Tuesday as traders looked to the latest U.S. crude supply reports for signs demand may be improving.
Benchmark crude for January delivery was up $1.41 at $98.33 a barrel by early afternoon in Europe in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 75 cents to settle at $96.92 in New York on Monday.
Brent crude for January delivery was up $1.34 at $108.22 a barrel on the ICE Futures Exchange in London.
The American Petroleum Institute is scheduled to report later Tuesday crude inventories data for last week. Analysts surveyed by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos., are predicting crude levels were unchanged.
The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration reports its weekly supply data Wednesday.
Crude has pulled back from above $103 last week after jumping from $75 early last month. Some analysts expect oil prices will push higher as the U.S. economy slowly expands.
"We are still in the midst of a slow economic recovery and as demand finds its way back to pre-recession levels, so will oil prices," energy trader Blue Ocean Brokerage said in a report.
Crude rose to a record $147 in July 2008 before dropping to $32 later that year amid a global recession.
Investors are closely watching the latest economic indicators from China, which is the world's second-largest crude consumer. The World Bank said Tuesday it expects China's economy to grow 8.4 percent next year, down from 9.1 percent this year.
"Though challenges in the external environment may buffer some of China's growth, the domestic market in itself will generate enough momentum to maintain positive Chinese commodity demand," Barclays Capital said in a report. "The government's plan to ease monetary policy should provide more stimulus to demand in the coming months."
In other Nymex trading, heating oil fell 1.7 cents to $3.01 per gallon and gasoline futures added 4.4 cents to $2.53 per gallon. Natural gas added 3 cents to $3.43 per 1,000 cubic feet.


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Showcased in the Paris Fashion Week among others, Marimekko dresses have enchanted for decades with their liberated cuts and clean design. The pattern range features both interesting new prints as well as timeless fabrics from Marimekko's iconic designers, like Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi, Annika Rimala and Maija and Kristina Isola. Loved also by celebrities including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Sarah Jessica Parker, the Marimekko dress is a favourite piece for stylish summer wardrobe and any special occasion – and paired with tights and boots, why not for winter wear as well?
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Tribute to the Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle will be launched 8 July on its last mission, bringing three decades of flights of this unique spaceplane to a close. ESA's new website highlights this era and its important role in European space endeavours.
The boxy black and white craft is the queen of technological marvels from the late 20th century. From its first launch in 1981 the Space Shuttle has been the way to fly to space for many of humankind.
It has transformed spaceflight: it dispatched and partially even returned many satellites and deep-space probes, it helped to end the Cold War by docking with Russia's Mir space station and it made assembly of the International Space Station possible.
Impressively, the Hubble Space Telescope was delivered into orbit, repaired and maintained by Shuttle on five missions.
With some 2.5 million moving parts, the orbiter with three main engines fuelled from the huge external tank, and the complementary twin solid rocket boosters form a package that is perhaps the most complex technological system ever built.
Europe and Space Shuttle
Europe was involved closely with the Space Shuttle from the beginning. NASA's invitation in 1969 to participate in the post-Apollo Programme led Europe in 1972 to agree to develop a reusable pressurised laboratory module as an integral element of the US Space Transportation System.
Named 'Spacelab', it was sized for the Shuttle's roomy cargo bay. Since it was modular and reusable, the composition of the laboratory was tailored to each mission.
This ESA-NASA cooperation meant that European astronauts flew on the Shuttle as the first non-US crewmembers. Beginning with the flight of ESA's Ulf Merbold in 1983 on STS-9 the first Spacelab mission, 24 Europeans have flown on 25 Shuttle missions. The last was Roberto Vittori, on the craft's penultimate flight last May.
Europe's Columbus laboratory module was delivered by the Shuttle to the International Space Station, like the other European-built ISS infrastructure elements which provide a major portion of the habitable environment.
STS-135: important extra flight
NASA decided in 2003 to retire the Shuttle after completing the Space Station assembly, but last year another flight was added to deliver a variety of supplies and major spare parts to sustain Station operations. This Shuttle flight will also carry another time the Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) which has been instrumental namely for deploying ISS research racks.
The Shuttle fleet's retirement will restrict cargo transport capacity and some spares cannot be delivered by the remaining unmanned ferries.
The 12-day STS-135 mission will be launched on Friday 8 July at 17:26 CEST (15:26 GMT). Shuttle Atlantis will attach the MPLM Raffaello temporarily to Node 2 port of the orbital outpost for the crew to unload its precious cargo and to take over also various download items.
Two of the four crewmembers will make one spacewalk to recover a Station ammonia pump that recently failed. It will be returned to Earth for engineers to understand the problem.
Atlantis will also fly the Robotic Refuelling Mission, an experiment to test the tools and techniques for the robotic refuelling of satellites in space.
Tribute to Space Shuttle
To celebrate the Space Shuttle and tell the stories of Europe's fliers, ESA has today opened the dedicated site 'Tribute to the Space Shuttle'.
To access the site, click here or an image on the right.


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The wait is finally over for dance music aficionados and fans of the phenomenally talented recording artist Jill Scott. Hidden Beach has debuted the first of a new three-volume remix compilation series CRATES: REMIX FUNDAMENTALS. The series promises to be an eclectic collection of uptempo and lounge/chill Jill Scott tracks, remixed and re-imagined by some of the music industry's most talented producers and remixers.
Listen to the mixtape and several tracks AFTER THE JUMP.
Visit iTunes to the download the album and a digital book for only $6.99 HERE.
CRATES: VOLUME 1 dropped this week and it's a winner. The centerpiece of the 11-track CRATES: VOLUME 1 is "Spring Summer Feeling" remixed by Chicago producer Ron Trent. It's a lush, ten minute remix of Jill's classic. The track is an homage to the "deep" House music sound that was omnipresent in Chicago in the 1980s and 1990s. The reverbs, deep percussion and soaring vocals are a tribute to Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy—and the epic parties at Body & Soul NYC and Club Shelter. The beats capture that perfect summer feeling.
One of the other standout tracks on CRATES: VOLUME 1 is the Jazzy Jeff Redux of "A Long Walk." DJ Jazzy Jeff, the architect of Scott's multi-platinum debut Who Is Jill Scott?, was the only producer on the project that worked directly with Ms. Scott. Jeff's remix is luxe and funky, almost a throwback to the 1970s.
Not all of the remixes are "house" music-inspired. Ca$e Boogie's remix of "Can't Explain" is an upbeat, high-energy remix. It's a totally new sound for Jill Scott—very circuit and very White Party. Steve "Mr. Mig" Migliore also created a circuit-ready anthem in his remix of "Whatever". The bassline is deep, the energy is high and the vocals are crisp. The only thing missing from both of these remixes—the shirtless guys and the bottled water.
Only one of the remixes in CRATES: VOLUME 1 possibly does not deliver their potential—the remix of "Bedda At Home" was not one of my favorites—but that's par for the course in any such collection. But the upside: This is a great way to start your summer dance music collection. Deep house, jazzy funk, high-energy ... there is probably something fabulous here for everyone.
CRATES: VOLUME 1 includes 11 new remixes and gorgeous liner notes. Rod 2.0 readers can win a free copy thanks to Hidden Beach and marketing guru Thornell Jones. Answer one question: Which Jill Scott track always makes you dance?
Listen to the mixtape and several tracks AFTER THE JUMP.
Visit iTunes to the download the album and a digital book for only $6.99 HERE.


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Here's what's been assaulting my ears this weekend!
KISS – 'Hell Or Hallelujah' single (2012): I finally broke down and purchased a song from iTunes for the very first time because I just couldn't wait for the new KISS album, Monster, to hear this new single. I paid my $1+ and downloaded the tune and it's been non-stop because it's a great song! This is the KISS I like: heavy, fast, blazing guitars and Paul sounding great. If this is any indication of how the rest of Monster will sound, then it's going to be a great record.
Motley Crue – 'Sex' single (2012): Thanks to the Crue for letting the fans download the track for free on the day of release. Just like the new KISS single, I'm playing this nonstop to get a handle on how the new album will sound. Seeing that both bands are touring together this summer it's no surprise that both bands threw a teaser track out there to promote while on tour. 'Sex' isn't bad (is it ever?), it's a good song more along the lines of the Saints Of Los Angeles album from 2008. It's hard to believe that album is 4 years old! 'Sex' didn't impress me at first but it's growing on me kind of like Van Halen's 'New Tattoo' did.
Van Halen – A Different Kind Of Truth (2012): There's just no getting over it…..this is one of the best albums of 2012! Say what you want about it not being a full Van Halen reunion, the recycled demos from the early years or David Lee Roth's merits as a singer, this sounds like the album that would have come after the landmark 1984! I can't stop playing it and I won't miss their next stop in the New England area when they continue the tour.
UFO – Seven Deadly (2012): This new UFO record has been cemented into the stereo from Day #1! This is another awesome album from the band and it proves that good bands never age. Right now, this is a Top 5 album for me this year.
Lita Ford – Living Like A Runaway (2012): I'm missing the Def Leppard/Poison/Lita Ford concert on August 18 because that's the day of my 40th birthday party but Lita is doing a signing and performance the next day at the Newbury Comics record store in Norwood, MA. My daughter and I are definitely there so I'm listening up on the new album…..it's pretty good, very introspective and reflects Lita's current personal life. Without a doubt, this is a far better album than Wicked Wonderland…..that was a pitiful record!
Lita Ford – Lita (1988): This was Lita's big platinum seller back in the '80s and the bulk of those sales came off the high MTV rotation of lead single 'Kiss Me Deadly' and her duet with Ozzy Osbourne 'Close My Eyes Forever'. I figured that I'd re-listen to the hit record prior to the meet & greet at Newbury Comics and I just realized that it's really a mediocre album. Is it the better wisdom of 24 years gone by or does the album have a staying power? I'm still listening and trying to decide.
Black 'n Blue – Nasty, Nasty (1986): I had my iPod on shuffle the other day and the title track came on, I forgot that this was a Gene Simmons produced record and that gene used the main riff from this song for 'Domino' from Revenge (1992). I went back and gave all the Black 'n Blue a fresh listen but Nasty, Nasty has stayed in my rotation…..what a great band they were, they should have been bigger.
Big Time Rush – (various songs): Yes, I'm talking about the boy band from Nickelodeon. I have two daughters and these guys are the biggest deal right now so we went to the concert yesterday (Sunday) at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA. I already know most of the songs from my kids' iPods & CDs and the TV show but I got in a few more songs so I knew the tunes for the concert. My wife & I are cool parents and we shelled out the bucks for our kids to have a great time. I kept it Metal in the parking lot as we tailgated…..
I've been catching up on my podcasts as well…..definitely check these out on iTunes or head to their websites…..
Iron City Rocks — http://www.ironcityrocks.com/
Focus On Metal — http://www.focusonmetal.net/
Radioactive Metal — http://www.facebook.com/radmetal
Decibel Geek Podcast — http://dbgeekshow.blogspot.com/
Metalcast — http://www.metalcastshow.com/
Talking Metal — http://www.talkingmetal.com/2011/


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Expiration of tax credit threatens wind industry
Texas is oil country, but in recent years, another energy resource has swept across the state: wind. Over the past decade, wind power turbines have cropped up throughout the Panhandle and along the Gulf Coast. In just a few years, Texas has become the nation's largest wind power producer, boasting seven of the U.S.'s 10 biggest wind farms.
As investors, we look for growth stories, and wind power has been a great one. The U.S. is generating 20 times more electricity from wind than it did in 2000, and nearly nine gigawatts - the equivalent of nine nuclear power stations - is under construction. Wind power provides more than 10 percent of power generation in five states and more than 20 percent in South Dakota. That's good news for the economy, the planet, and for investors looking to build a cleaner energy future.
So what's wrong with this picture?
In this case, it comes down to policy. For years, the federal government has supported innovation in the energy sector, funding everything from advanced drilling techniques to more efficient turbine design. In the case of wind power, the U.S. provides a tax credit for each kilowatt-hour of wind power produced, known as the Production Tax Credit. This credit has increased energy diversity and reduced our reliance on fossil fuels. It has also helped to stimulate productivity and innovation in the renewable energy economy and keep electricity costs low for consumers. Indeed, innovation has driven the cost of wind power down more than 90 percent, resulting in wind being competitive on its own in a number of places and near that level in many others. And unlike other energy sources, as wind prices drop they stay low: The fuel is free.
President George H.W. Bush originally signed the Production Tax Credit into law in 1992. However, after decades of bipartisan support, it's set to expire at the end of this year. If lawmakers do not act, it could bring the wind power economy nearly to a halt, putting thousands of jobs on the line. And with each day of inaction the problem grows larger.
A climate of uncertainty is never good for business, and lawmakers' delay is already taking a toll on the industry. On July 20, General Electric, the nation's largest wind turbine manufacturer, reported that its year-over-year turbine sales fell 37 percent. The company attributed most of this decline to hesitancy around the tax credit.
And it's not just turbine manufacturers who are affected. As wind power has grown, many companies have benefited, including suppliers, transport, transmission, construction and other service companies. Each of these companies has something at stake if the Production Tax Credit is not renewed.
Take for example Houston-based Quanta Services, a company held in the Green Century Balanced Fund, which is advised by Green Century Capital Management and subadvised by Trillium Asset Management. Quanta is a Fortune 500 company that has developed more than 30 wind farm projects over the last 10 years. In its 2011 annual report, Quanta wrote, "We consider renewable energy, including solar and wind, to be an ongoing opportunity for our engineering, project management and installation services."
That renewable energy opportunity has already borne fruit for Quanta. Last year, the company earned nearly 5 percent of its $4.6 billion in revenue from renewable energy development projects. That's hundreds of millions of dollars of economic development that, in the absence of clear federal policy, becomes much more difficult to achieve.
Without certainty around the Production Tax Credit, the whole wind supply chain is threatened. Utilities are less likely to invest in renewable generation, transmission lines won't be built, construction and transport jobs decline, turbines aren't manufactured and financing stalls at each step along the way.
Uncertainty surrounding federal tax policy also leads to inconsistent investment cycles. This mentality can lead to over-enthusiastic build cycles followed by reluctant financing and slowed project development. As a developer of renewable energy generation facilities, Quanta has a material stake in consistent federal energy policy. So do dozens of other companies, including diversified giants like GE and sustainable investors like our firms, Green Century and Trillium Asset Management.
Fortunately, this is an energy problem our nation's leaders can solve, and as investors in a clean energy economy and members of the $10 trillion Investor Network on Climate Risk, we encourage them to do so. With clear, consistent policy, maybe one day Texas will be known not only for being rich in oil but also for striking it rich in wind.
Curtis is senior vice president of Green Century Capital Management and president of the Green Century Funds; Patsky is Trillium Asset Management's chief executive officer.


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Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
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Yep, an "amazing" newspaper, in fact probably The Daily Amazing Race. And the dog photo and headline are no doubt references to the family dog, a JR terrier named Jetson.
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What?!? I mean really, I knew twitter was just about everywhere…at least in my wine/social media world. You may even be sick of twitterati: Bloggers, facebook-ers, and Web 2.0-ers, all tweeting. Even my real estate agent is on twitter! But just when I think the slope is leveling off there's Biz Stone, one of twitter's founders making an appearance on The Colbert Report and then there's Dell:
Dell has landed $1 million of sales using Twitter. Even though that's a fraction of Dell's $61 billion in annual sales, it costs almost nothing, Binhammer said. Twitter also allows Dell to promote new products and help customers with technical problems, he said. (Article Link Here)
Now that's some serious ROI. We also saw the Wine 2.0 Tweet Stream last Thursday. You can connect your twitter stream to your facebook as well as your blog. You can also connect your 12Seconds.tv to your twitter stream (twitpicing along the way). And by the way, have you connected your Diggs to twitter (Twiggit) and do you get regular Tweetbeep notices? Mr. Tweet will recommend new people to follow based on your tweet cloud/interests. There's another 20 applications here at TechCrunch with links and a brief description about their use, origin, etc.
So while you're updating the best new toys for your twitterverse…don't forget the most important aspect of participating…Tw-etiquette. Good manners. Remembering that there is always a person at the other end of the tweetdeck, i-phone, Blackberry Storm, computer, whatever.
So of course, @thebetsy said it better in fewer words…there may be understandable nuances to such guidelines on twitter. So watch the community and take @thebetsy 's advice. Would love to hear your thoughts, resources and input as well. The Twitter Blog will keep you current on the rest. And you can follow me @winedivergirl.
This was a public service announcement. Our regularly scheduled programming will now resume.


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This handy College Readiness booklet provides helpful information and resources to guide you through the process of getting started on your path to a degree!
Welcome and congratulations on taking the next step to further your education!
We are excited to know that you have expressed an interest in attending our institution. East Georgia State College (EGSC) is a member of the University System of Georgia. After being granted State College status in 2012, EGSC now offers targeted bachelor's degrees!
Why East Georgia State College?
At East Georgia State College, we strive to provide our students with a rewarding college experience filled with student activities and apartment-style on-campus housing that makes our campus feel like your new home. With numerous student organizations, intramurals, athletics, and on-campus events - EGSC provides you many opportunities to develop personal leaderships. Our concerned professors and welcoming environment will provide you with the personalized attention and first class education you need to succeed.
Studying at East Georgia State College can take many different paths. Whether you select our main campus in Swainsboro, our extension locations in Statesboro or Augusta, or obtain a degree online you will be glad you have chosen to enroll at East Georgia State College. We offer small classes with faculty who are dedicated to teaching and preparing you for whatever challenges you wish to pursue beyond EGSC. Our flexible course offerings provide day, evening, weekend, and on-line options. We invite you to take the time to learn more about how to get started at EGSC by reviewing the information on our website as you take that next step in your education.
The Admissions Office is dedicated to helping you achieve your personal and career goals. Our staff is eager to assist and we welcome your contact by email, phone or in person to discuss your academic goals. You can call us at (478) 289-2169, email us or if would like to stop by our office, we are located at 131 College Circle, Swainsboro GA 30401 in the Jean Anderson Morgan Student Activities Center. Our office hours are 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Monday - Friday. Most importantly our first priority is YOU, our future student, and the Admissions staff will assist you in any way we can to make your transition the best it can be!
You may also contact our other locations for more information or scheduling placement exam appointments:
EGSC Augusta (706) 729-2127
EGSC Statesboro (912) 623-2400


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My Face Is Scaring Me
Entry posted by Liam Foster ·
1125 views
My acne has hit an all time low. I don't know what has triggered these chain of events, but in the past week or so, my face has exploded. I stopped taking doxy a few weeks back and my face has been getting worse ever since. But doxy wasnt improving my condition either so what gives!? It's actually making me scared to look into the mirror. My right cheek which has been clear for so long has exploded with huge acne everywhere! And my forehead has also gotten really really bad. Im not just talking small whiteheads, im talking about huge cystic red pimples, all coinciding with each other and all spreading viciously. What is scaring me is that i wont be able to start accutane until i get home which is in like 3 weeks time, so my acne will just keep on getting worse and worse until then. Is it getting worse because i stopped taking doxy? I really dont know. It hasnt been this bad for a long time. Its like i have boils everywhere on my face, they are so big and red its unreal. The stupid thing is, my back and chest are clear as hell!! So why just my face!? Im also wondering if its the facewash im using. I am using clean and clear foaming facewash for a month now with no improvements. Or could it be the acne cream i use, which is skinoren 20% azelaic acid cream. I really dont know, but im so scared because its getting worse every day and i cant seem to stop it.