The Weaver Family

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Well we took our cruise to the  Western Caribbean.  We sailed on the Costa Magica.  The ship was decorated nicely and provided a semi-relaxed atmosphere which is something we didn’t have when we took our first cruise on Carnival which was nothing short of a drunken party boat.  But compared to our cruise on the Costa Mediterranea, the experience was less than optimal.   The service on the ship and the lack of food choices were so pathetic.  Given the enjoyable experience we had on the Mediterranea, it left us severly dissappointed with what we experienced on Magica.  Unlike it’s namesake Magica had no magic at all.

Sans the bad weather which forced us to miss our port at Grand Cayman (which we really didn’t care too much about as it is so expensive) and provided us with a drenching down pour in Ocho Rios, Jamacia, the ports were enjoyable.   Our last port Grand Turks actually had decent sunshine and the Margaritaville there made the port worthwhile.  Shopping was limited but enjoyable, and the locals were friendly without being overly pushy.

Overall I’d give the cruise on Magica a score of 5 out of 10.  Our previous cruise on Mediterranea easily scored a 8.5 out of 10.  We might give Costa another chance but not with their Caribbean cruises.  They are based in Italy so me might try them for their Med cruises were they are a bit more familiar with the customs.

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If you need an easy digital recorder, this is one of the easiest to  use.

This recorder can store 6 hrs of audio in what it calls hi-def.  It can store up to two files in each of its three folders.

The software to download the PC is easy to use, however it lacks the ability to compress the WAV files to MP3, which is a major disappointment.

If you do buy this recorder or any Olympus recorder be sure to store your CD somewhere you can find it.  Olympus has a policy of “You lose CD, you pay for replacement at $19.95.

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I will readily admit that I am 35 and a parent.  But has anyone recognized that new music has taken a turn for the creative worse?

Modern music has for the most part come from the roots of Jazz and Rhythm & Blues.  This includes rock, country, gospel, Christian contemporary (all forms) pop, and rap.

When I was growing up my parents listen to a lot of religious music and few secular songs.  I wasn’t so limited.  There was a separation of musical styles and it’s intended audience.  For the most part, R&B and country were focused on the blue collar worker and his problems.  Rap represented the inner city and a cutting edge musical style.  Rock-n-roll represented the angst and problems of the teenage and 20-somethings (for the most part).  Pop was pop and was mainly sugar coated music aimed at anyone who would listen.

The artist all had a message they wanted to get across, either explaining situations or trying to make a difference.   You didn’t always agree with the message, but at least they were expressing themselves about something that meant something to them.

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