Sunday, June 11, 2006



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Tony Awards Agree: "Jersey Boys: The Best Musical On Broadway"

June 11, 2006

Tony Awards Agree: "Jersey Boys: The Best Musical On Broadway"

By Richard Kuper

The Op Ed Page
http://ReadTheOpEdPage.com


Sara Krulwich/The New York Times
Cast members performed a number from "Jersey Boys," which was named best musical.

On December 20, 2005, I wrote the review found here titled: "Jersey Boys: The Best Musical On Broadway." Tonight, the Tony Awards agreed:

Best Musical: "Jersey Boys!"

Lead Actor in a Musical: John Lloyd Young, "Jersey Boys."

Featured Actor in a Musical: Christian Hoff, "Jersey Boys."

Lighting Design - Musical: Howell Binkley, "Jersey Boys."

Friday, June 09, 2006



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Strawberry Fields at BB King's Blues Club - A Review And A Warning

June 8, 2006

Strawberry Fields at BB King's Blues Club - A Review And A Warning

By Richard Kuper

The Op Ed Page
http://ReadTheOpEdPage.com

On Monday night we went to hear the group Strawberry Fields at BB King's Blues Club in NYC. As you may have already guessed, they are a Beatles sound-alike band, made up of folks who were in the Broadway production of Beatlemania. So, of course, we expected a terrific show.

Instead, what we got was earsplittingly loud and distorted noise. If one stuck their fingers in their ears, one might then determine that the group really wasn't all that bad, if only they would lower the volume.

After a complaint, the manager, Eric Gunther, claimed he lowered it. When pressed, he stated that the volume was originally at 95 db, and he lowered it to 90. That was still way too loud. His solution was to get us some ear plugs. We tried them, but the show continued to be totally un-enjoyable. He refused to refund our money. We finally left.

As we were leaving, the volume cranked up even louder. I wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Gunther pushed it to over 100 db, as he truly did not seem to care about the damage he was causing to the patrons and to the workers as well.

I did some research. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology (AAO):

"The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, in its Hearing Conservation Amendment of 1983, requires hearing conservation programs in noisy work places. This includes a yearly hearing test for the approximately five million workers exposed to an average of 85 dB or more of noise during an 8-hour work day."

Notice that it said "exposed to" and "85 db or more." None of the staff were wearing ear plugs or other protective devices, so I hope that BB King's is following the law and providing free annual hearing tests to it's employees. It is apparently also required to provide free ear plugs to it's employees. I wonder if they know that.

The following is also from the AAO:

"What Are The Laws For On-The-Job Exposure?

* Habitual exposure to noise above 85 dB will cause a gradual hearing loss in a significant number of individuals, and louder noises will accelerate this damage.

* For unprotected ears, the allowed exposure time decreases by one-half for each 5 dB increase in the average noise level. For instance, exposure is limited to 8 hours at 90 dB, 4 hours at 95 dB, and 2 hours at 100 dB.

* The highest permissible noise exposure for the unprotected ear is 115 dB for 15 minutes/day. Any noise above 140 dB is not permitted."

Also according to the AAO, the typical rock concert (this was not supposed to be one of those) is at least 115 db, so anyone attending one for more than 15 minutes without extreme hearing protection is asking for trouble.

The club gets around the NYC Ordinance of the sound not exceeding 45 db because it is below ground and not causing a disturbance to an apartment or on the street.

I would encourage anyone considering going to BB King's to not go there until they lower the music. If you must go (the server was very nice and the chicken wings with bbq sauce was good, but the prices are on the high side for the food), make them give you high-quality ear plugs before the show begins, and make sure that you follow instructions on how to insert them in your ears or you won't be getting the appropriate protection.

Thursday, June 08, 2006



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Microsoft Is Spying On Your PC Every Day

Reposted from:
The Kuper Report
http://TheKuperReport.com

June 8, 2006
Microsoft Is Spying On Your PC Every Day
Richard Kuper

According to an AP report posted on yahoo news ( http://tinyurl.com/qjqf8 )
Microsoft admitted that its tool, called Windows Genuine Advantage, which checks to see if you are running a legal copy of Windows, checks your pc every day. According to the article, "The company said the undisclosed daily check is a safety measure designed to allow the tool ... to quickly shut down in case of a malfunction."

It seems that if Windows Genuine Advantage were to malfunction and incorrectly deem a legitimate copy of Windows to be a pirated copy, it would disable that computer from being able to download any but the most urgent of patches, and could conceivably prevent the computer from functioning properly.

Without this software installed, downloading updates is a significantly more difficult process,
and all but the truly tech-savvy would find it onerous, which would cause most windows-based
computers to not be updated with the many security and other patches Microsoft needs to keep issuing.

Sunday, June 04, 2006



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'Singles' vs. 'Albums'

June 4, 2006

'Singles' vs. 'Albums'

By Richard Kuper

The Op Ed Page
http://ReadTheOpEdPage.com


I've now read in a few different places folks complaining about the music companies wanting to "bundle" downloadable songs into collections so they can be purchased as "albums" as if this was a new concept or that somehow the concept of a "single" would disappear if this occurred. This seems a bit odd to me.

Before there were 99 cent 'single' tunes from itunes, there were "single" cds. Before "single" cds there were 45's (also known as "singles") and before that there were 78's. For as long as any of us, or our parents or grand parents (depending on the age of those reading this), there has always been a way to only purchase the hit without purchasing a 'collection.' The difference is that now the 'single' is, in fact, only one song. All prior 'singles' were actually two songs, the hit, and the 'flip-side', which, sometimes, became a hit as well, and then you had two hits for the price of one. And to be honest, sometimes I thought the flip-side was an even better song than the one that became a hit.

Based on history, it would seem that the concept of 'singles' can exist side by side with that of 'albums' -- so, in my opinion, this is a non-issue. The larger issue is that the quality of the recordings provided via the internet are significantly inferior to a well recorded CD or record. Hopefully, someday in the not-too-distant future, someone will figure out a way to have a computer-based file match the fidelity of the original recording and sound the same as a well recorded CD or record, and sound that good (and be playable on) a good quality stereo system.