Here’s a photo from before the show, just down the street from the Fitzgerald:

Mickey’s Dining Car in St. Paul, which seems fitting to include here given Martin’s song “Diner.” You might have seen one out in Minnesota…

I liked the Fitzgerald Theater. Small theaters are great for concerts. I don’t know if I ever want to see a band play in a stadium again. The last stadium concert I attended was Rush at the Target Center, and it was awful. What a terrible way to experience live music. Not least because people usually feel compelled to stand the entire time. Yes, maybe I’m old, but can’t you enjoy the show from a sitting position also? Is it so much to ask that I can at least have a clear line of sight from my seat thirty rows back? That’s even without getting into the usually horrible acoustics and generally miserable atmosphere. The Fitzgerald was so much better. Any seat on the main floor would have been a good one, but there I was in the front row.

There was great energy from the crowd, both during Ryan Montbleau’s opening performance and during Martin. I enjoyed being part of this gathering of fans, sharing the experience. Normally I don’t care for crowds that much, but as the show went on I really felt connected with the audience in our mutual love for the music and the man.

A couple of times between songs, during the applause and cheering, a woman’s voice would call out, “I love you Martin!” And he would quietly reply, “I love you too,” or “I love you too, cousin.” I could have expressed the same sentiment. I’m so grateful to him for his music and for sharing his gift with us. I didn’t feel comfortable shouting out my feelings as clearly, so I settled for showing my love and appreciation by clapping and loudly whooping and hollering. He would acknowledge us with thank yous that felt quite sincere. I think he is genuinely grateful for the cheering and applause, even after thousands and thousands of shows.

Before playing “Black Sheep,” Martin assigned different keys to the balconies and main floor for our expected contribution with the chorus’s “Bye bye…”, and people cheered on the various groups as we rehearsed, as if exhorting each other to really be part of the song, and by that time of the night I was completely absorbed into the show. Bye, bye, black sheep… I very much enjoyed singing along, not self-conscious at all. We were all performing the song together.

Of course, it all went by much too quickly. I was unhappy with myself for the beers I drank, which distracted me with the need to pee and then finally missing half of “Glory Bound” when I finally gave in to my body’s demands. I also found myself over-analyzing the situation, consciously trying to be in the moment and thinking about how it was going. Also regretting that it was going by so fast and would be over soon. (And in retrospect, the experience is so hazy and dimly remembered now. Another reason to curse the beers? Or just the normal way that dreams recede?)

Despite all my self-inflicted trauma, it was great. Everything I had hoped for, and I’ll be eagerly waiting for the next show within a hundred miles of here. I did manage to get swept away with the performance, eventually. “Black Sheep” was super. By the last song before the encores, we were on our feet. (Which was fine. I’m not against all standing! Especially at the conclusion of such an emotionally powerful event.) I moved up to lean against the stage, and was thrilled at the first encore: “The Way I Am.” One of my favorites. I laid my hand flat on the stage, trying to draw inspiration directly from Martin through the conduit. I’d also like to change the way I am, but finding it difficult. Then he finished with a cover tune, “Purple Rain,” and it was also moving and powerful, and while I was there in the moment (I think), I also felt the night slipping away. I’m usually ready for a show to end, but not this one.

During the encore, from my vantage point on the far right, I noticed a woman sitting offstage, holding a baby in her lap, and realized it must have been Martin’s wife and new son. I thought about his incredible talent and the devotion of his fans, and about how things must be for that little baby. Your dad is a star and an inspiration, and you’re there to experience the energy and the love. Good luck “in the journey,” little Sexton baby.

Finally, here’s a fuzzy bootleg video I captured at the concert and posted on YouTube:

Martin Sexton: Over My Head

(Note: I noticed recently that my XHTML-compliant embedded YouTube doesn’t show up in Google Reader. Sorry about that if you’re using GR or some other feed reader that similarly doesn’t show the player, but I can’t bring myself to post non-validating code if I can help it. You’ll have to click through to my site or YouTube to watch it. Poor video quality but awesome Martin.)

In Martin’s words, peace and love to you all.

Related

• Mah Na Mah Na » Scrubs » Martin Sexton, ‘Diner’
• Martin Sexton, ‘Hallelujah’
• I’ve been holdin on to this ticket
• Ryan Montbleau at the Fitzgerald Theater

I’ve lost nearly 50 pounds in the past 6 months. The Weight Watchers plan along with exercise worked for me. I discussed my frustrations with the WW web site in that June post, and I ended up dropping them after my initial three month membership was up. But I stayed with the system, using my own spreadsheet.

Here’s a chart of my “official” Monday weigh-ins:

Exercise has been the key. Mostly walking until late August, when I started jogging. I think running has ratcheted up my metabolism. I was “on plan” every week up until a month ago, but since then have been going well over my weekly points and still losing. I’ve reached the weight I want to be at for my 5′ 8″ frame, so now I have to learn how to maintain. And I don’t want to succumb to the big holiday season weight gain.

Will Weight Watchers work for you?

Sure. It works for many people. And also has not worked for many people. Some people lose a lot of weight on the plan and then gain it back again. It’s not a miracle fix, but it is practical and helpful if you’re committed to changing how you approach your health.

I think having an objective way to track food intake was the most important thing for me. I like to eat, and don’t self-regulate very well. I’ll eat when I’m not hungry and will keep eating when I’m full. Weight Watchers gave me ability to stay in sensible boundaries. It gave me rules I could follow with confidence that I’d get results.

It helps if you can limit eating out at restaurants. You can still go out, of course, and one of the great parts of the plan is that you can eat whatever you want within your points. But for best results, you need to accurately count those points. That can be a challenge at restaurants, but not an insurmountable one. We’re not eating out as often these days, which has the nice side effect of saving money. (Then again, we regularly have Leeann Chin, Chipotle, and pizza. But that’s eating in, not out. Totally different.) I started bringing lunch to work so I could eat more healthily in addition to counting accurately.

It’s not simply about losing weight. It’s about being healthy. For example, I’m eating a lot more fruits and vegetables now thanks to the emphasis on this in the plan. Which brings up the point that you will have to do some work to be successful. It’s work to keep those fruits and vegetables in stock and to prepare them. I bought a food scale and often use measuring spoons and cups, which adds some overhead to the consumption process. If you’re meticulous about tracking your points, you’re always having to run the numbers on calories, fat, and fiber. (But this all has some appeal for my OCDemons.)

I encourage you to give it a try if you want to lose weight and get in shape. It’s well worth the effort. I feel great!

Related

• I’m Losing It
• The Running Bug

I was hoping I could keep the problem under control, with three mile jogs in better weather conditions. I’ve been getting by all right with my New Balance 609 “cross-trainer” shoes, for which I paid $54.99 back in early August. This was before I came down with the sickness. The 609s are my standard walking shoe, with this pair being the third generation. But they seem to be doing the job for running, so far, with 80+ miles logged and my body still not rejecting me.

Up until now I hadn’t invested in any paraphernalia specifically for running, although I already own a Polar heart rate monitor that I bought for my weight loss project this year. I’d prefer not to spend a lot of money supporting this habit, even while regularly thinking about and looking into treadmill options in the face of the oncoming winter menace.

As the temperatures started dropping into the 40s, I switched from shorts and t-shirt to shorts and long-sleeved shirt and then sweatpants and long-sleeved shirt, and wondered how sick I would progressively become. I wouldn’t be running in freezing temperatures and slushy/salty Minnesota streets, would I?

And then I found myself at Target yesterday, buying some gear to fortify myself for a run in the day’s 34 degrees F temperature:

And lo, it was good. My head was so warm, and my fingers so thankful, and the jacket so lightweight and wind-resistant. The first mile presented a brutal headwind, but the next three were quite manageable. I got back home and said to my wife that we might have to buy that treadmill this year after all. Because at this time, I can’t see running in the slushy/icy streets of January and February, and I don’t know if I can survive the winter with just our dilapidated old Nordic Track ski-machine to hack on.

I started to think about a five mile route for today:

And then later I spent about an hour and a half reading running and jogging articles at about.com, and wondered if I needed a first layer made of moisture-wicking material instead of the cotton shirts I normally wear, and what about proper stretching and hydration? And…

And then I started wondering how deliriously ill I might become.

Would I attempt a marathon? Surely not. (And please, friends and family, arrange an intervention if it ever appears to be heading in this direction.)

A half-marathon? Maybe. (Really, friends and family, it’s ok, I can quit whenever I want to.)

For today, I stayed with the four mile route at 26 degrees F. And again, it felt so good. There’s a great sense of well-being as you get into the flow and just keep moving your legs and keep breathing in and out. The solitude is golden. There’s this feeling of accomplishment; like I can do anything while I’m out there.

So, it seems I have the running bug. I guess there are worse problems to have, but still: how bad will it get?

Related

• I’m Losing It
• Weighing In

But first, let’s talk about the opening act: Ryan Montbleau. I had never heard of him before learning that he was opening on this tour. He normally plays with a band but last night performed solo in keeping with the spirit of Martin’s “Solo” tour. I had downloaded a few freebies from his web site and liked what I heard, so was looking forward to seeing him also.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a music reviewer’s vocabulary and training, so I can’t say something like, “he is evocative of the classic period of American folk music in a way that the neofolkists never fully understood,” but I can say he was GOOD. You can see and hear for yourself in my first attempt at a blurry and muffled YouTube upload that fails to capture any nuance of the actual experience:

Ryan Montbleau: It’s All Been Done Before

Note that this is a thoroughly unauthorized bootleg. I thought Martin had a fairly liberal recording policy, but on review today, not so much. Still, I doubt that he or Ryan mind if fans share stuff like this. I took this video from my Canon point-and-shoot, and after the song an usher came down to tell me no cameras were allowed. He was pleasant enough about it and I acted suitably reprimanded as I shoved the camera back in my pocket, but come on. Why should this be a problem? Culture must be free.

He gained at least two new fans with his performance. Me, and my old, good friend Jeff. Jeff is an insanely good guitar player, and he was impressed with Ryan’s playing, so along with my uneducated ears you can take it on advice from a musical practitioner that this guy is worth a listen.

I really enjoyed the show. He’s got a great voice, and seemed humble and likable. It’s a dream come true to tour with Martin, he said, with one of the greatest things being that he gets to see Martin Sexton play every night. And he’s funny, which you can get a sense of from his web site and from the live CD mentioned below.

I was thinking about buying one of his albums on the way out, and on seeing Ryan personally manning the merchandise counter, I headed right over, buying his latest, Patience on Friday, and a double album of a performance at Club Passim in Cambridge, MA. He signed one of the Club Passim CDs for me. I wonder what it must be like, getting a boost like this for your career. People were snapping up merchandise at a brisk pace. Cash was flowing over the counter and I detected a hint of giddiness when he said at one point, “Money money money.” Imagine making money for doing something you love and believe in. Ryan is a sincere and talented artist. It makes me glad to see things working out for him, and happy to support his work. I’ll be looking for his next Twin Cities concert.

Give the Ryan Montbleau Band a try.

Related

• Mah Na Mah Na » Scrubs » Martin Sexton, ‘Diner’
• Martin Sexton, ‘Hallelujah’
• I’ve been holdin on to this ticket
• Martin Sexton at the Fitzgerald Theater

Row 1, Seat 1!

Martin Sexton: Happy

Related

• Mah Na Mah Na » Scrubs » Martin Sexton, ‘Diner’
• Martin Sexton, ‘Hallelujah’
• Ryan Montbleau at the Fitzgerald Theater
• Martin Sexton at the Fitzgerald Theater

How about it, viewers? Do you want to see more quality programming like this? Make sure your voice is heard!

I am not the first, nor the only one, to believe a superorganism is emerging from the cloak of wires, radio waves, and electronic nodes wrapping the surface of our planet. No one can dispute the scale or reality of this vast connectivity. What’s uncertain is, what is it? Is this global web of computers, servers and trunk lines a mere mechanical circuit, a very large tool, or does it reach a threshold where something, well, different happens?

So far the proposition that a global superorganism is forming along the internet power lines has been treated as a lyrical metaphor at best, and as a mystical illusion at worst. I’ve decided to treat the idea of a global superorganism seriously, and to see if I could muster a falsifiable claim and evidence for its emergence.

My hypothesis is this: The rapidly increasing sum of all computational devices in the world connected online, including wirelessly, forms a superorganism of computation with its own emergent behaviors.

[…]

This megasupercomputer is the Cloud of all clouds, the largest possible inclusion of communicating chips. It is a vast machine of extraordinary dimensions. It is comprised of quadrillion chips, and consumes 5% of the planet’s electricity. It is not owned by any one corporation or nation (yet), nor is it really governed by humans at all. Several corporations run the larger sub clouds, and one of them, Google, dominates the user interface to the One Machine at the moment.

– Kevin Kelly, “Evidence of a Global SuperOrganism”

It’s fascinating to think where we might go — or where our machines might go — if civilization doesn’t melt down first.

Ice House ruins in Tyler, Texas
photo by Terry Shuck (crowt59)

I can’t remember when or how I first found Terry Shuck’s work on Flickr, but I immediately became a fan of his photography. It appears that he uses HDR techniques quite a bit, although I can’t tell what all magic he summons with different lens and filters and whatnot.

I liked that he often shared his images under Creative Commons licenses, including the liberal Attribution license which allows for commercial reuse. It was for this reason as much as anything that I subscribed to his photostream. It’s good to find kindred free culture spirits. But then he increasingly released new photos under standard copyright with “All Rights Reserved,” and I soon unsubscribed.

For random things that I stumble across on the Net, “free” has the edge in keeping my attention. When I find good, freely licensed work, I want to share it and spread the word (or the image!). For example, I had used one of Terry’s photos, “Old Ice House Chamber Door” in this post, where I linked to its Flickr home. I recently visited that page, and was surprised to find it now encumbered as “All Rights Reserved” where it had previously been licensed as CC Attribution. And there are no longer larger images available; there’s just the 334 x 500 version you find on the landing page.

Hmmm

I had saved a handful of his photos to my hard drive, and checking another one, it also had been “taken back.” I left a comment on the one photo, pointing out this change in licensing. Terry’s work receives lots of comments on Flickr and this picture was posted almost a year and a half ago, so I didn’t expect much in the way of a response, but he sent me an email thanking me for my comment and saying, “Yes I had to change the rights as I started finding my photography being used without my permission for advertising and other professional media.”

Which is very interesting. Perhaps the photos were being used without attribution, which would be wrong, but it seems as likely that he decided he didn’t like the consequences of free licensing. The CC Attribution license doesn’t call for permission to be granted beyond the permission inherent in the license itself. And it doesn’t forbid commercial use.

Of course Terry is free to choose his terms and take advantage of the existing monopoly available under copyright. It’s disappointing to me, because I’d rather see people choosing freedom. But I can also understand the desire to make money from creative work, and it’s true that restricting sharing may increase revenue opportunities.

It may also hinder those opportunities, by making it harder for people to share the work and attract more attention and fans. Now that all of his work is (apparently) released under standard copyright, and only small images are available, other people may be similarly less-inclined as I am to follow and promote him and his work. This post notwithstanding. And not that I think my meager posts constitute a huge boost to Mr. Shuck’s career.

Free Culture Pedigree

The situation raises questions about the provenance of free culture artifacts. How do we establish the freedom of a work when its source no longer grants the previous liberty? It’s my understanding that Creative Commons licenses are irrevocable. If you receive a work under a free license, you will always have the right to use and share it under the original terms. Without that permanence, free culture wouldn’t be free at all.

But it feels kind of shaky when the original artist has taken away their blessing. How do I prove that I received this work under a free license? I do have larger versions of the photos that are no longer available, but that doesn’t prove anything. Taking screen shots of the earlier page or downloading the HTML source would be not only cumbersome, but even worse proof, given that they could be easily modified/faked.

Think about all the photos available on Flickr. (Millions?) Along with many others, I’ve often mined the Flickr vein for images to accompany my posts, using the advanced search specifically to look for free images. Should Flickr track license choices and make public a “licensing change log” for each photo page? And what about all the other sites out there, including this one? If movingtofreedom.org went dark tomorrow, where would that leave the status of all my priceless free work?

It would help if we weren’t burdened with copyright law that by default makes the enjoyment and sharing of our common culture so tedious. But even then, even if free culture became more of the norm, we’d still have the challenge of proper attribution, which I believe is much more important than securing an unworkable monopoly that lasts forever on the copying of digital bits (or of analog atoms, for that matter). But I think most people are happy to provide attribution, which makes it a much smaller problem than the huge problem of how to prevent copying and sharing when they are the most natural and easy things to do in the world.

Related

• Crosbie Fitch has more to say about this: The Fickle and Fleeting Freedom of a Creative Commons License

mndaily.com: Comp. sci. activist to talk computing freedom at U

Which led me to dig up this press release with details. Willey Hall on the West Bank of the University of Minnesota at 6:30pm.

I’m not sure if I’ll make it. I’d love to hear Richard speak in person, even if it’s “just” his standard speech. It’s a lot more convenient for me to drive down to the U than fly to Boston.

I never got around to writing more about my trip to the FSF Associate Members meeting earlier in the year. Speaking of seeing the Great Man in person, the member meeting started with no RMS in sight. He wasn’t scheduled to appear until a panel later in the day, but I expected to see him sitting in the audience along with the other free software luminaries present.

At one point, an audience member asked a question and used the term “Linux,” at which time a familiar voice immediately interrupted from the top of the auditorium-style classroom, “Well that would be an insult to the movement…” All heads turned to see Richard standing back there, putting the semantic universe back in balance. Such blasphemy couldn’t be allowed at this gathering! I don’t remember exactly what he said–the usual spiel about GNU/Linux being the proper term when referring to the entire operating system–but it was quite an entrance.

I highly recommend going to see him speak, if you have the opportunity, here or anywhere. His principled and passionate belief and support of free software is a great inspiration.