On The Theremin

All on Paper (old news?)

In a stunning and, if I may say, terribly interesting move College journalists from Florida Atlantic University have produced an entire issue of their newspaper the 'old fashioned' way.

The whole thing has a very Don Drapper/Mad Men feel to it, which is  a Good Thing.

They typed on typewriters, took photos on film (which they developed in house), cut and pasted with scissors and glue, and made plates by hand.

I can't tell if they are crazy or brilliant. I want to try it. (Hit the link for the full story.)

Part one: http://journoterrorist.com/2011/07/26/paperball/
Part two: http://journoterrorist.com/2011/08/02/paperball2/
Read the issue yourself: http://issuu.com/upress/docs/up1234-2 


Be sure to read through the comments for some interesting and useful contributions. (Like this gem, the same thing as it was done 'back in the day.') 

Disney Shot Kennedy

A new indie film, from local movie house modest conspiracy films, Disney Shot Kennedy will be screened this Friday (August 27th) at 8:30 PM at The Eyedrum in Atlanta as part of the Atlanta Underground Film Festival.

Everyone's favorite record store proprietor, Jim, plays a long haired man with a gun. It looks to be a fun event, and I hope to see everyone there!

Tickets are $8 at the door, and go on sale 30 minutes before the movie starts.


You can find more information about the event here.

Also, be sure to check out the Disney Shot Kennedy facebook page, for more news and updates.

Love Sculpture- Sabre Dance/Think of Love - British Blues Rock

I'm a blues junkie. I heard a song today that moved me, it was the B-Side to a novelity cover of the classical piece "Sabre Dance."

I'm presenting both songs here. Listen to them, let them move you.

Record Store Day is this Saturday!

Free Stuff

All Peter Frampton and Humble Pie records are buy one get one FREE on Record Store Day! 

Sweet Melissa Records has just received a shipment of exclusive Record Store Day bags. Made from 95% recycled woven polypropylene, these bags are, at the same time, awesome and environmentally conscious. Be the envy of all your friends, with this amazing Record Store Day, 2010 bag.

The perfect size for carrying all the new releases and vintage vinyl you'll be picking up, it also features a pocket for singles.

The best thing about these bags is the witty prose that is at the same time entertaining and informative. "Are you unhappy listening to music with a compressed and brittle sound?" Such a powerful question is quickly followed by the proud proclamation "Records reproduce music featuring something known as Quality Sound." 

Be proud to be a vinyl junkie! Be the envy of the neighborhood. 

The bags are free with a purchase of $50 or more, while supplies last.

In keeping with the Green theme, we are proud to offer these custom made bowls. Each record was warped, scratched, and generally unplayable. They were rescued from the dumpster and turned into these magnificent show pieces. 

Artists such as Pink Floyd, The Beatles, and even Miles Davis are represented. 

Available on a first come first serve basis for 6.95.

Free with purchase of  $50 or more while supplies last.

New Stuff

We will have the finest in new vinyl. From, The Doors Live in New York to The White Stripes- Under Great White Northern Lights, even She and Him Vol 2! Not to mention the hundreds of vintage albums that we are putting out EVERY DAY in anticipation of Record Store Day. 

We are also proud to announce that we will have a ton of limited releases, and other various giveaways, some that we aren't even allowed to talk about yet!  We've got special RSD releases from Soundgarden, Bon Iver, Peter Gabriel, Phoenix and more! 

Please do keep in mind that a good number of the Record Store Day Releases were pressed in extremely limited quantities. Supplies are very limited, and everything is first come first serve.

Live Music

Don't forget that there will be special performances from Noble Thieves, Davin McCoy and the Coming Attractions and more! 

Noble Thieves go on at noon with artists following regularly throughout the day!

For the last several weeks they have been doing construction in front of our building. We don't know if it will be done in time for RSD, but we surely hope so. Rest assured that we will be here either way, and we will make it worth the trip! 

Sweet Melissa Records

146 South Park Square NE

Marietta GA 

30060

Inside Antiques on the Square

770-429-0434

Open Source iPad alternatives

For the past year and a half I've been looking for a touch screen 'tablet' devic, with a screen larger than a cell phone and smaller than a laptop. I wanted it to have a good web browser, desktop resoltuion, the option to pair it with a keyboard, a good selection of high quality applications, and great battery life. I wasn't looking for something to use as a computer, but rather something to supplement my computer. The idea is that it's small enough to keep with you all the time, versitle enough to fill whatever niche you need it to, and enough unlike a computer to never feel burdened with a lack of understanding.

The iPad is those things. It is an increadibly well built, well engineered peice of hardware. It is running well written, visually pleasing, useful software. Using it feels good, more like a book or a magazine than a computer. It scratches the itch that I had and if Dell or HP had released the iPad I would be shouting from the roof tops.

But Apple made the iPad. It looks and feels like an Apple product, polished clean, well thought out, and utterly limited. The iPad is a perfect walled garden. If you don't use iTunes, you can't use an iPad. If you write an app apple disapproves of, it can't be on the iPad. If your book says 'sperm' it will be censored on the iPad. Apple has built an ecosystem that reminds me more of Nintendo or Sega from the 90s than any computer company. The mantra seems to be 'people can't be trusted with the things they buy.'

So I have gathered together a list of some of the most promising iPad competitors from the open source world. Most of these existed before the iPad, and each comes with it's own caveats, but if you are looking for iPad alternatives, you'd do well to start here.

SmartQ v7 - This is a . It runs Android, windows mobile, and Ubuntu.