MTV...What's the deal?

Music Television. Music: That's what the "M" stands for, TV is for T and V respectively.

What the hell happened? Over the years you have degenerated into a pale and pathetic attempt to be cool without having any musical content. Its true that the early videos were cheesy and low budget. There was a lot of new experimentation going on and a lot of genres were covered. The only time I see music on MTV now is the Total Request show and that is always the same videos with nothing other than mainstream popular tunes. Unless you are a recognized artist who has a catchy beat then you aren't getting airtime...

Why ?

Because Jersey F'ing Shore is on, That's why!

People need to take more chances; that was what MTV WAS all about...

In the beginning ... (sounds biblical doesn't it?)
Mavericks looking toward the future and defining it: not just playing what was guaranteed by a market study was what made the channel fun, interesting & worth watching... Some of the stuff that was on there I still have NO IDEA what it meant. That was alright, because it didn't HAVE to mean ANYTHING! Now the channel is sterility at its best. Fuse is slightly better but still there are just TOO many SHOWS so lets get back to basics...

MTV... It's time for a reboot.

I am thinking I might have to make an MTV week here on the Broadcast, and that is traveling back to what I, the good Doctor, liked about MTV. End of rant.

Smell The Glove

EDIT: The video link is already NOT WORKING -- damn copyright laws, it was one of my favorites too. Buy the movie Spinal Tap and fast forward to the part where they play Stonehenge and THAT's what I was trying to share with you all. You should already OWN this movie anyway -- it is a total classic.

Years back, I tried the "band" thing -- and then tried it again -- and again -- and kept ON trying to get people together to become the newest & greatest rock gods; unfortunately none of these projects were or ever became especially commercially viable. Everything I was part of as a "band" always began with lots of potential and infinite possibilities but something always ultimately led to its own implosion. Whether it was a drummer who had to get so F'ed up before a show that he blew his parts and wouldn't sing the tunes he was supposed to or guys simply not showing up for rehearsals or me leaving the band in the lurch while I moved up by Boston (Whoops! sorry guys...) Anyway it was back in my EARLY days in one (or more) of these "bands", created back in the early 90s with me being just a kid going on auditions for guys who were probably about my age now (much older than 16 or 17) and who really thought that they were to cool for school... Looking back they really remind me of ... (drumroll here) Spinal Tap!!! IF you have seen the movie then you know exactly what I am talking about -- guys taking themselves WAY too seriously and maybe even believing a little TOO much in their own ability and ROCKitude. I had fun and learned a lot in those days -- I learned what I did NOT want to be and how easy it is to be lame. One band mate who shall go nameless actually suggested the band name be 'Visionquest' (wasn't that a crappy 80's movie?) In hindsight I should have probably just quit the band at that point but it was over a year later and he was coming over looking to pick up his drums for the last time. Oh well...

Conductiong 101

Controlling an orchestra has simply got to be one of the most incredibly badass experiences a musician could have; while I am probably never going to get a full orchestra to play my work, (at least not in the foreseeable future) I'd still like to know how to do it properly should the opportunity arise.

Here for your viewing pleasure is a little primer from my favorite Russian conductor Valery Gergiev.

The funny thing is- if you were to see a guy on the street just break off into these apparent spasms you'd probably think he was going into anaphylactic (I had to look that spelling up) shock or something, yet here in front of an orchestra it seems perfectly normal...

It really proves that old adage: location, location, location.

Street Performers -- A.K.A. Busking

Down and dirty, in the trenches, guerrilla music.

A Lot of people see this as one step above (IF that) begging. The music is there and it is kind of in the tradition of how music first started -- word of mouth and where you played ended up being ' your sound.'

This carried over the years and blues is basically JUST guys who played the streets and bars in whatever circuit they were able to work -- the Mississippi delta blues, Chicago, even New York had it's version and back then you could hear a blues number and you had an idea of how it might sound by the area it came from.

Flash forward however many years until you are here and now. Everyone is exposed (theoretically) to ALL the same music, the dues you pay are what web-page you are downloading your tablature from, the listening and copying of what you HEAR is virtually non existent.

But wait a second....

Music is a hearing art form, right?

Sure you can make noise alone in your basement for years on end, but even if that is enough for you -- YOU are still hearing it.

The point is this, when you see some one with the cajones to go out there on the street and play some tunes, or do whatever they do, they at least have the heart to pursue the end goal of REALIZING their tunes for others to share. They might be dressed (or smell) badly... but whether they do or not you should at least give them a buck or two... You'd probably tip your waiter more than that and if you can afford throwing them a fiver, just do it.

I am not sure if there is any 'cosmic justice' or karma or anything, but if you do something like that you really aren't losing anything and you probably just made that performers' day.

Now I have never gone out and performed on the streets, but I have seen plenty of guys and girls who have, and I try (when ever I am able) to at least toss a couple bucks their way and congratulate them for fighting the good fight.

Just a thought.

Ren-Faire

Just got back from the last day at the Renaissance Fair here in Sterling Forest, NY. Great day with the fam.. Took in a couple play-lettes (if that is even a word) ATE. and ate and ate...

Watched the people in all the renaissance garb you can imagine, lots of it even looked authentic. (read as NOT cheap) and did something that I always look forward to doing at these events -- watch the drums and bagpipers play their hearts out (while belly dancers practiced THEIR craft which is always a plus.)

All in all it was a win, the kids liked it (the one did -- the other slept; being that she is only 3 weeks old and not all that interested in the renaissance yet.)

oNe thing that got my attention was the simplicity in the music yet how effective it was -- there were also madrigals sung by a chorus but that didn't seem to capture the audience (or my own) attention as much as the simple melodies of the 2 bagpipes and the 2 bass drums and cymbal. It made me look at how great just sitting back and grooving on a rhythm can be.

No life changing events here to report, but just something I am going to add to my own mental database when I write something new.

See you tomorrow.

Daft Punk Thomas Helmet

This would fall into the realm of Geek stuff, so it fits into the theme of 'The Broadcast' as far as I am concerned. I had to share how cool this was to watch being made from start to finish; in my own reserved and conservative opinion -- this is prety f'ing awesome.

If they put stuff like this up on Science Channel'sHow its made I'd probably watch it more.

What the hell is "good music" anyway?

This is a fundamental question that most musicians don't ever find the ultimate answer for -- Beethoven might have come close a couple times , Stravinsky definitely did, Led Zeppelin touched on a few moments here and there, as did Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa, but what was it that made their sound stuff good?

The answer: we could relate to it on some level almost universally, across all different cultures and upbringings. There was some thing about those frequencies timbres and rhythms that rubbed our psyche in some subconscious way that communicated beyond the words, (although in vocal music, words can enter into the equation.)

So how can anyone just go out and make music as timeless, interesting and unique as that?

The truth is, I don't know if anyone has a definitive answer to that one. I have tried to be as 'unique' & 'individual' as possible -- so much so that I can't listen to pop music without an un-jaded ear... To me . it's elevator music.

ALL of it.

I WISH I could listen to something on the radio without cringing or thinking how I might have done it in a more interesting way, in fact the one and just about only thing that I find redeeming in MOR (middle of the road) music is production values; sometimes even that can detract from the overall sound image you are trying to achieve.

Now, the music I make is quite a bit left of center and while I understand how a pop song is constructed, I find myself rarely going down that path to find my own 'good music'. (Unless I am goofing on it of course.)

The music that really resonates with us NEEDS to sound different enough to be BOLD ... DARING. UNCOMPROMISING, while at the same time having enough familiarity to strike that chord in each of us -- and in this I believe the timing of the song is essential.

As we all mull over these topics everyday a new little nugget is revealed, (just try to avoid too much of the brown nuggets, they are generally the BAD ones) and this can only make our sonic manipulations more interesting and more relevant to ourselves, making it BETTER.

*NOTE* As you've noticed I am constantly comparing things back to my own work, but that's only because that's the prism I look at life through and having asked these questions and searched my own 'inner whatever of truth' I have come up with this GOLDEN RULE OF ALL:

If you don't like something then find out WHY its bad and ultimately by the process of elimination you can make something GOOD.

Later y'all.

Devin Townsend -- Gearing up for his tour.

It's rare when you will find me basically re-posting vids like this & basically plugging someone ELSE's music other than the old school. I usually am not too impressed with a lot of the 'newer school of progressive rock,' Dream Theater was great about 20 years ago and a too much of the prog rock since then sounds extremely derivative, how ever there are a few that stand out and this guy is one of them, maybe its how he seems to rebel against any kind of label on his music, I dig that.

Devin Townsend gearing up for his upcoming shows
Wish I could go and see these guys live. Oh well... fatherhood (sigh)...

Zappa's Answering Machine Message / Strictly Genteel

The answering machine message I wish I had made... Crappy sound quality though, get past that and you'll probably get a chuckle out of it -- reminds me of the old stuff from the Mothers

Check this next one out when you have 7 free minutes... 
Strictly Genteel:

I found it entertaining... Good song -- decent sync ups,

Enjoy.

Breaktime

Not much in the way of real enlightenment in this post -- right now my familia is on the way out to John F Kennedy International Airport with my grandmother-in-law to send her back home from a long and exhausting trip for her (as I am sure she would agree.)
With a 2 year old running around like lightning in a bottle and a newborn just 3 weeks old -- the entire house is basically grinding to a halt of productivity. I have still managed to throw up some posts to any and all who are interested, and to vent a little or share a little knowledge.
That said, I have had the last couple hours to myself and I have been laying down a few vocal tracks for the upcoming album. They aren't coming out too bad -- it is a bit of a tedious process for me - so I have to take a few steps back every so often to keep my focus on the big picture and not get so caught up in a syllable or phrase that I completely lose sight of the intention of the song in the first place.
Besides, for any one who knows me you already know that LYRICS are the least important part of a song (to me.) It's the feeling behind any words and if they sound good they don't HAVE to really make sense.
They might... they just don't have to.
Just thought I'd share where I was at in the process of this alpha omega supreme record (which IS pretty low budget, but the heart is there.)
As I am laying down the few parts I feel are completed- I am hearing all kinds of interesting Ideas in my head --

• One : A children's choir, yes I know Pink Floyd did that -- but that doesn't mean I can't too... I can practically hear it already.
• Two: Using filters and vocoders. I like filters AND I like vocoders. 

• Three: Better harmonies than what I am capable of. 

Yes -- I am on the look out for people who can complement the work.
Drop a line if you're curious.

One more for Shatner

I just came across The Shatner Project which is Bill's youtube channel. If you haven't guessed yet, I am indeed one of the 31,000 subscribers (and I am sure there will be lots more added daily.)

Here he talks about Star Trek Vs Star Wars, NOTE - He is as blunt as all hell, so if you can't take the Shatner -- get outta the channel baby!

The Legendary Shatner

Bill Shatner was and always will be "the king bee beyond all others".

He invented his own style of acting and carried that out to the extreme. He built drama and kept things interesting with his quirky pauses now affectionately referred to as 'Shatnerisms', I was a fan of Star Trek practically since I was born --watching Nimoy and Shatner tear up the cosmos together with Bones, Sulu, Scotty, and all the rest of the crew. I still remember watching it at my grandparents house and just imagining myself in space -- exploring the universe.

One of the 'new worlds' explored by Shatner and Nimoy was the world of song back in the sixties (and even with it being "the drug-laden sixties," they still weren't quite ready for this.)

Theme from Cyrano & Mr Tambourine Man -- Skip ahead if you get bored with the Cyrano one (I did.) Tambourine man has some classic moments you shouldn't miss.


Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds -- This one was my favorite until I found Nimoy's little auditory treasure to be released in a future post.


Time for a live one, William Shatner "sings" "Taxi" on "Dinah!"

Robots

Ok, I'm not going to lie,

I love robots.

Not in the biblical sense, (not yet anyway), but since I first discovered what a robot was, I've wanted one.

Why?

Ask any 'robot-inclined' guy why he would want a robot, and I think they will all say the same thing: I am pretty sure most NON-robot people know what the answer is as well but they might be shy about admitting it:

Getting drinks.
(When not busy saving the world from an alien race of ugly, low production value creatures from Krylonian 12.)

Is it the ultimate in laziness? Maybe.

Is it as cool as hell to see a robot either clomping across the room with a frosty beverage, or rolling over to the couch with your newspaper and slippers? Definitely.

Of course one of the most classic robots that we saw epitomize the coolness of what a robot servant can be, was back in the Rocky movies, (anyone remember those?) I couldn't tell you if it was Rocky 3 or 4;
but you haven't seen those flics in a while, so do yourself a favor. Sit down with a drink of your choice and maybe a popcorn (brought to your la-z-boy recliner by the aforementioned friendly neighborhood robot of course!) and enjoy!

What does this have to do with this blog? Not a WHOLE lot , BUT computers making music MIGHT be relevant so its included.

I write 90% of my music on the computer. It saves so much time and while it does have drawbacks(it takes a long f-ing time to get things to do what you really want -- and even then it is often not exactly what you heard in your head) it is convenient as I can't carry a band or orchestra around to let me hear what the hell it is I am creating.

Check HERE to read a bit more on that.

In conclusion of this fairly lengthy post,(My English teacher would be so proud,) Robots ARE in fact, "the bees knees" my friends.

Enjoy them.

peace

New look = Laziness ?

Now the last couple of days I have spent whatever free time I could scrounge up on redesigning things so that everything would at least appear a little more aesthetically pleasing (from my OWN point of view at least.) After having completed said renovations, I am now in a quandry for any new and interesting CONTENT to share; other than the fact that I DID put in a few good hours searching for a decent Background, new color scheme, and laying it all out MANUALLY, which in Blogger is -- a mighty pain in the bass.

The present generation, wearied by its chimerical efforts, relapses into complete indolence. Its condition is that of a man who has only fallen asleep towards morning: first of all come great dreams, then a feeling of laziness, and finally a witty or clever excuse for remaining in bed. ~Søren Kierkegaard

Well, here you have it! A shiny new, looking pretty shweet, blog; which I hope all 5 or 6 of you regulars appreciate.
*NOTE: If I got *more* feedback I could tailor the broadcasts better for you guys and girls, and maybe actually help someone a little more directly.

P.S. Don't be scared -- I enjoy helping people. So if there is anything you want to see more of or anything drop me a line.

P.P.S The Dr's door is always open.

All for now kiddies.

Home with the tribe...

Today is a perfect day to do work around the house, so no music, no politics just me, concrete and lots of stuff to make. Yay.

What about your roots, man ?

What the hell happened to you, man?
"Wow you sure have changed, I remember when you ......."

"You used to listen to _____ and ________... now... I don't know."

"<--- Looks of confusion, head cocked to one side like a lost puppy--->

I have grown a lot as an artist over the course of my life... yes, I AM older than 15- 20, and I am also under 40 and I have seen a few trends come and fade.

They ALL do, eventually.
Believe it.

I never would have guessed that music (or the music industry) would be where it is now but it doesn't really surprise me all that much.
People obviously like to see pretty people, and while there is no news there, there once was a time when music was created by *musicians* and looks were secondary in importance (if at all) to the music you created.
There once was a chance for the uglier, grittier, more REAL and relate-able to me and (I would like to believe) to the average music consumer.

Those were the groups and artists I tended to gravitate toward; as a kid picking up on the attitudes and musical vibes of the 'older crowd' - the people I felt were the REAL DEAL, I went out and bought all the merchandise I could to brand myself as part of that subculture -- now it could have as easily been punk rock as heavv metal as bebop as blues; they've all had their time in the sun as the predominant musical force and they ALL have eventually faded out into the next big thing.

Anyhoo, as I grew from listening to primarily radio, moving on to cassette tapes friends liked or copied for me, then to Compact Discs (or See Dees as they were once referred to in the vernacular) I heard about, finally ending up with mp3s which allow a lot more freedom of exposure to different tunes.

My roots are still intact but I find that I simply don't listen to them as much as I used to.

Being a musician, it is probably because I cannibalize bits and pieces from this or that, and as this bit or that is absorbed I don't FEEL a song in the same way as I did and so I am off in search of a NEW great song that might touch me in some new way.

Roots are a part of the process and are a great touchstone to have, (& to return to sometimes when you lose focus as we all sometimes do) but they shouldn't be the be all end all, and you should have a WIDE selection of roots to grow your art from, or it will be without any real foundation, uninteresting and flat.
Just something to think about.

Your own mileage may vary.

Cover Tunes.

This one is for the musicians...

How many bands have you been in whose play lists were almost entirely cover songs?

When I played out (-- which now seems like forever ago) with some of the bands I was in there was an unwritten rule that you HAD to play covers, at the time I enjoyed it but I didn't take this aspect as seriously as I do now... Now I realize that the closer to the actual cover you can get the better you will be able to communicate your OWN ideas on your instrument.

Usually I would get pretty close to the original but there are always differences that come up-- it tedious to try and get things exact... especially solos. Solos are where you should pay more attention to details and try and learn some of the classics so you increase your own vocabulary and don't ALWAYS go on autopilot with the sane licks you learned years back -- that is what can keep your playing in a rut and holds you back from where you want to go.



Of course these days I ;like to try and mix some songs up a bit and so I approach SOME songs as if I were writing it, but I try to at least LEARN things the way they were originally written.

Lately I have been going back over my old Hendrix collection song by song and taking things as if I just heard them and am learning them all again. Its amazing how many things get changed over the years through trial and error, when I sat down and started working my way through 'Purple Haze' (one of the tried and true standards) it really surprised me how much I had changed things up. Not the song structure so much (although I did do that slightly too) but the guitar parts were pretty different - not so much that the average drunk listener would notice but comparing them side by side its obvious.

So when you are in your next band playing almost all covers use it as an opportunity to focus & make your playing as good as it can be so you can use those chops for YOUR tunes.

9-11 And all that jazz.

A couple people have emailed me asking why I didn't put up something recognizing the 10th anniversary of you know what... I have a few different reasons, it was a terrible event that happened by a few morons who happened to get their sh*t together long enough to do more damage than they should have been allowed to do.

By remembering the fallen, I understand that we are helping those families deal with their grief in some sense, maybe even make it seem like they died FOR something.
At the same time I think that by plastering images of falling buildings on every channel ALL day is giving the bottom feeding slugs who were responsible for smashing a couple planes into buildings more fist-pumping ammunition for self congratulations; at worst, it can be veritable call to arms for all those families of people WE killed (justifiably or not) in any of the OTHER wars we have since become involved in.

We (Americans) should have seen it coming.
It was simply a matter of time before one of these fundamentalist groups made something big go boom.

We have never had any attacks on our soil and to think we never would is what some might call arrogance,
others might call it stupidity.

There will ALWAYS be nutjobs out there, no matter how much 'security' 'awareness' or whatever infringement of liberties you might allow, just try to not be around when they DO go off.

In closing, I found this memorial which I have no hope of competing with, so I leave you with...

Love Songs and why they truly suck...

There is a simple reason why I don't particularly care for "SONGS OF LOVE". There are already so MANY and they all seem the same -- you can almost sing along with each new one that comes out without even heard it before -- there might be references to "angel eyes" or "walking out that door" or some other similar cliche that has been played into the ground.

If you are going to rehash the same old thing, try asking yourself really -- what exactly is the point?
There are enough ready-made love songs that are probably better than what you will come up with -- so just play a cover version unless you have something to really bring to the table.

OK, the truth is that I actually don't HATE all love songs(maybe just 97% of them), but can't we try and be original?

If a format has been played as much as this one has, give it a fresh feel or new perspective that shows at least SOME effort to be your own person.

And yes -- you CAN bring something to the party if you look at what hasn't been done before and at least TRY it. This really goes for anything creative in my opinion. The unorthodox way is THE way to go to develop yourself and your musicianship into a unique, distinctive sound.

I will get now down off my soapbox.



Thanks for listening.

Rant over.

Sickness sucks

The fact that we as humans have existed at all is a testament to playing the odds.
The fact that we maintain our existence for an average of 80 plus years is simply mindblowing especially if you extrapolate the billions of variables our bodies have to adjust and adapt for to keep the homeopathic balance which keeps us alive.

The fact that we become ill when some unexpected bacteria or virus infiltrates our little flesh and bone vehicle is even MORE testament to the incredibly resilient nature of the human animal, fighting to restore the balance.

You know what sucks though ?

FEELING the illness as it does it's magic.

Danny Elfman -Great composer or not?

This song was one of the EARLY songs that got my interest piqued in the man known as Danny Elfman, I didn't know who he was or really know even what he was doing, in that he was composing the music for a lot of the movie soundtracks of the movies I grew up on. Back to School was one of my favorite movies of all time... the scenes with Sam Kinison were epic. I couldn't stop laughing with the timing and buildup of the classroom scene.



"Weird Science" another great flick from the 80's that a kid like me could totally relate to -- geeks who figure out a way to make kelly lebrock (who WAS super hot at the time) their girlfriend...



Batman (the Tim Burton/ Michael Keaton one)


He also scored the PeeWee Herman classic in film, his self titled "Pee Wee's Big Adventure." Which I believe was Elfman's first score, and first work with Tim Burton.

Having done all these film scores which I liked, obviously I love the guy for the 'cultural impact' his tunes had on me and even now I enjoy his sounds in movies like Nightmare before Christmas & his more adventurous forays into 'serious' music. Is he as good a composer as he gets credit for ? Obviously he commands a high paying salary but is his music superior to a lot of other composers? What makes his music so special?

I am not trying to diminish his work at all I just wonder how many musicians feel that his work is the cats pajamas, or, at the end of the day is he a flash in the pan which will be left in the annals of history?

I think I have reconciled this argument as he IS a consistently great FILM composer and there are moments when the muysic DOES work on its own merits, but I think you can't compare Elfman to someone like Stravinsky or Varese...

Apples and Oranges.

I still kind of dig this tune.

Work and Play, Balancing Act

Remember the end of that classic movie "The Shining"?
(the one with Jack Nicholson , not the one with the guy from "Wings")

That scene where Shelley Duvall (in all her mousy, greasy loveliness) finds the novel that Jack Torrence was writing and it is:

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"

thousands of times in different layouts on the page.

Some days, I GET it... I totally understand where that might come from. Don't worry I am not going to go break any doors down with an axe -- but there are days when you just get burnt at work and you are not feeling like doing anything. Those are the days you NEED to pick up the guitar or what ever you play and unload all those frustrations. Just hit record and go off; you will, 9 times out of 10 have something worthwhile. Some will just be a lot of wanking off but there is almost always a SEED of a song somewhere in the cacophonous barrage that can be developed.

Not much in the way of audio enlightenment here other than the obvious -- use life as a backdrop to make YOUR music and that can help you develop YOUR sound.

Dominant Thought by Dr Schizoid (yours truly)

Dominant Thought CLIP1 by DrSchizoid

A great groove from forever ago. There is a chunky guitar part that goes along with it that is as yet unrealized on tape and some lyrics (also not recorded yet) that were described as a friend of mine as "Pink Floyd if they were on crack or meth instead of acid."

Share with your friends & family -- its a great friend on cold winter nights.
http://soundcloud.com/drschizoid/dominant-thought-clip1

New Baby Girl!

Just to let you know, there has been a new addition to the Schizoid family and she is a real beauty, at 8 lbs 10 ozs my wife hates me but the product of all that 24 hour labor was totally worth it (considering the fact I had nothing to do with it other than a very fun part 9 months ago I should probably shut up now.)

I am not going to have much time for posting here for a couple days but one never knows if I can find a free minute to post about some free-thinking interesting music or a gripe which might present itself.

Actually the thing coming to mind right now is the cost of all things medical here in the states. Not fair or balanced at all, and WAY outside the range of the average family without SOME kind of outside intervention (either insurance or governmental)

ONE wonderful example of a flawed capitalistic nation run amok.

Whats the answer ? Damned if I know.

WE might be too far gone to ever truly address let alone fix these problems.

The Dr. is just glad he has medical insurance.

Thanks be to the universe for giving me such a beautiful and healthy baby girl!

Hurricane

The big hype was followed by a few destroyed streets and a lack of electricity for a few days but otherwise , all in my little circle of trust are unfazed by the wrath of Irene. Some water got into my humble abode, and driving downtown was more than a little annoying finding the way through the various detours and whatnot, but all in a ll it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.

*I am glad that I am up on a mountain.

So the bullet points are:

• The familia is safe
• The power is back on
• The skylights DO leak and I SHOULD get around to fixing them ASAP
• I want a generator for Kwanzaa.

Thanks for the concern.

See you soon!

Mr Show

I have no idea why they cancelled this -- it was pretty consistently funny. One of the mysteries of a television executive I suppose, can't keep anything too good on the air for too long or elese people might realize that 99% of the stuff on TV is utterly non-watchable. Whatever the reason, I would like to see another go at it with these two, they had a good dynamic and the rest of the cast was great too.


Maybe a reunion?

One can dream.

This las t one is one of my favorites. Brilliant stuff.