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I took a field trip a little while back to test out playing guitar outside. I want to do more of this. Get ready.

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A post shared by Chris Greacen (He / Him / Yo) (@greacen)

category = MUSIC
tagses = DOODLE, DOODLES, IMPROVISATION, IMPROV, GUITAR, NOISE, LOOP, ABSTRACT, SEMANTICSATIATION, HARMONICSATIATION, IMPROVISED, LIVEMUSIC, SOUNDONSOUND, MOLATE, POINTMOLATE, RICHMONDBRIDGE, MTTAMALPAIS, SOLOGUITAR, 16MM,
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Overheard:

• [16:22] surfer1: sigh
• [16:25] surfer2: log today, fish on easter sunday?
• [16:25] surfer2: I mean log tomorrow...
• [16:25] surfer1: hmm
• [16:25] surfer2: wasn't jesus a fisher of men?
• [16:25] surfer1: I'd like to, BUT I think it'll be crowded
• [16:25] surfer1: scared of dings
• [16:25] surfer2: isn't the fish the most christian of surfboards?
• [16:25] surfer1: thinking log tomorrow, log sunday, fish monday
• [16:25] surfer2: or is it the log?
• [16:25] surfer1: it is, people sign them with a jesus fish sign
• [16:26] surfer1: heh jesus WAS a carpenter
• [16:26] surfer2: because the cross was made of logs
• [16:26] surfer1: I think that's a kookbox

Some truly amazing music rolling out of the 2012 Song-A-Day crew so far. The month is nearly done and people are feeling it. I'm feeling it.

Here are a few of the downloads we've noticed...

 downloads / files
  803 /songs/2012/20120209_jonnybecky_expiration_date.mp3 
  725 /songs/2012/20120208_darin_instacanon.mp3 
  619 /songs/2012/20120205_darin_trippin.mp3 
  289 /songs/2012/20120209_peter_very_funny_elizabeth.mp3 
  285 /songs/2012/20120206_dberkman_calling_neptune.mp3 
  284 /songs/2012/20120214_dberkman_safari_of_love.mp3 
  277 /songs/2012/20120205_dberkman_hammer_reflections.mp3 
  255 /songs/2012/20120206_darin_epic.mp3 
  253 /songs/2012/20120207_dberkman_patience.mp3 
  223 /songs/2012/20120219_dberkman_path_of_the_heart.mp3 
  204 /songs/2012/20120213_jonnybecky_you_are_me.mp3 
  195 /songs/2012/20120216_dberkman_the_ground.mp3 
  195 /songs/2012/20120203_dberkman_the_tea_party.mp3 
  193 /songs/2012/20120204_dberkman_half_life.mp3 
  187 /songs/2012/20120215_dberkman_aftermath.mp3 
  179 /songs/2012/20120208_jonnybecky_corvair.mp3 
  171 /songs/2012/20120212_dberkman_alien_love_life.mp3 
  170 /songs/2012/20120202_dberkman_creatures_of_the_core.mp3 
  165 /songs/2012/20120203_darin_left_behind.mp3 
  162 /songs/2012/20120210_jonnybecky_anymore1.mp3 
  153 /songs/2012/20120207_jonnybecky_ears_ring_.mp3 
  149 /songs/2012/20120209_artemis_eye_to_eye.mp3 
  146 /songs/2012/20120206_artloft805_hippy_gypsy.mp3 
  141 /songs/2012/20120201_dberkman_a_life_in_the_day.mp3 
  138 /songs/2012/20120215_jonnybecky_baby_bankrupt.mp3 
  137 /songs/2012/20120207_darin_rain_at_last.mp3 
  135 /songs/2012/20120203_artemis_supernova_21.mp3 
  130 /songs/2012/20120214_jonnybecky_the_city.mp3 
  130 /songs/2012/20120211_seela_.mp3 
  130 /songs/2012/20120211_jonnybecky_run_a_shop.mp3 
  128 /songs/2012/20120207_artloft805_moon_cocoon_v13.mp3 
  127 /songs/2012/20120215_jonnybecky_die_in_my_sleep.mp3 
  126 /songs/2012/20120217_bruce_moon.mp3 
  125 /songs/2012/20120207_greacen_want_to_move_on.mp3 
  125 /songs/2012/20120207_derek_elvis_sandwich1.mp3 
  125 /songs/2012/20120201_darin_inauspicious.mp3 
  124 /songs/2012/20120216_jonnybecky_songaday.mp3 
  124 /songs/2012/20120206_jonnybecky_people_are_blind1.mp3 
  124 /songs/2012/20120201_derek_welcome_to_songaday_2012.mp3 
  123 /songs/2012/20120205_artemis_fisherheart.mp3 
  122 /songs/2012/20120202_darin_back_to_sleep.mp3 
  121 /songs/2012/20120210_jonnybecky_the_bill.mp3 
  121 /songs/2012/20120204_artemis_just_a_song.mp3 
  120 /songs/2012/20120208_derek_thanks_walt.mp3 
  117 /songs/2012/20120212_artemis_little_explosions.mp3 
  117 /songs/2012/20120204_jonnybecky_weatherman1.mp3 
  117 /songs/2012/20120203_derek_here_i_am.mp3 
  114 /songs/2012/20120206_dearl_those_wacky_nords.mp3 
  113 /songs/2012/20120201_jonnybecky_january_underwear.mp3 
  111 /songs/2012/20120204_greacen_whats_the_rush.mp3 
  109 /songs/2012/20120220_dearl_creatures_of_the_core_pt_2.mp3 
  109 /songs/2012/20120212_jonnybecky_on_call.mp3 
  109 /songs/2012/20120202_seela_the_dr.mp3 
  109 /songs/2012/20120202_dearl_deaf_by_drop.mp3 
  107 /songs/2012/20120211_peter_running_up_a_pane_of_glass.mp3 
  106 /songs/2012/20120202_jonnybecky_chase_me.mp3 
  102 /songs/2012/20120211_greacen_world_built_for_two.mp3 
  101 /songs/2012/20120219_artloft805_57_blues_with_harry_o.mp3 
  

There are more of course. This is just the list of files in the triple-digits. Go listen!

Looks like my run with the Rubicon Project is about to end. They are starting to charge publishers a (laughable) $2000/month fee for using their network. I'd love to make more than $2k/mo over on NetScrap.com, but even with 100k impressions a month it's nowhere near that volume. This likely spells the end of my relationship with Rubicon.

Rubicon's service had a great promise: automatic optimization for the ad campaigns that run on your site. They claimed that they'd be able to run the highest-value ads through this optimization. Their system seemed to perform well for a few months, but like all networks the effective CPM eventually started to peter-out.

My guess is that Rubicon's continual focus on premium (read: large-volume) publishers is really driving this. Do they need to aim high-value ads toward their premium properties? Are the operational costs really catching up with their network? The ads on NetScrap.com make a little dough to cover part of the hosting costs. The returns haven't been that great though, maybe I'll just kill them all.

Rubicon Folks-

I am disappointed to read about these changes in your terms. Your decision to scrape small publishers off of your network by charging fees seems to be directly opposed to your 'power to the publisher' tagline. I hope the premium publishers you pursue will accept and understand this apparent disconnect between your claims and your actions.

Sincerely,
CG

Here's the notification from the Rubicon team:

Dear Customer,

It's been a growth-filled year at the Rubicon Project. We've expanded internationally to several continents, continued enhancing our technology and support offerings and welcomed hundreds of new customers to our developing global family.

Over a year ago, we narrowed our focus to concentrate on the premium publisher segment of the market -- tailoring our products, services and level of support to meet their needs. At that time we ceased taking on new sites that didn't meet minimum impression and managed revenue thresholds, but allowed existing small to mid-sized publisher customers to remain using the platform and services.

Despite great strides in developing and applying patent-pending technologies to the management of display inventory, due to the nature of the industry we operate in, there are a number of key elements that still require considerable amount of staff and resources. Primary among those are the development of new ad network relationships, applying resources to collect and consolidate stats from disparate ad networks, billing, responding to and resolving publisher inquires and managing a high level of overall ad quality. As we always strive to give the best to everyone we work with, we've continued to service small and mid-sized publishers, some running 25,000-100,000 impressions a month just as we do premium publishers running 50 million a month. The costs have really begun to add up and we've come to the realization that this simply isn't scalable given our existing basic fee structure.

Beginning January 1st, in order for publishers to continue to be able to access our technology platform and associated support services, we are instituting a requirement for a monthly minimum fee of $2,000, below which a publisher will have to make up the difference. By means of example, if your fee on managed revenue ends up being only $500 a month, you will be responsible for the additional $1,500 to make up for the costs associated with managing and supporting our, and your, business. We recognize these minimums are not going to work for all publishers. If you choose to pass on the new monthly minimum and close your account, we hope you will continue to keep us in mind as your traffic grows and it makes more economical sense for you.

One thing to consider when making your decision on how you would like to proceed, is how your traffic is currently allocated and whether you are serving all your Ad Networks through the Rubicon platform vs. outside of it. This additional traffic might help you meet the minimum monthly fee, while at the same time providing additional lift for your overall inventory.

If you would like to continue to access the Rubicon Project's technology and services, please let us know no later than December 18th by responding to globalsupport@rubiconproject.com Best Regards, the Rubicon Project

This email was sent to: *@netscrap.com*

This email was sent by: the Rubicon Project 1925 S Bundy Drive Los Angeles, CA 90025 USA

I found an ad for this one on Craigslist a few years ago. At that time I had been watching a bunch of old videos on YouTube and drooling over pics of early Bings on classicbingsurfboards.com was really curious about how these old boards felt on a wave. When I saw the ad for an old 9'6" bing, I jumped on it.

The guy who sold it to me said that he had done some repair work to the nose. He added the paint to the deck (probably to cover up some of the work on the nose), but mentioned that that was common for boards from this era. He offered the following advice about the leash-hole in the tail:

"Someone drilled that leash hole. Not me. I don't use a leash -- with two exceptions. 1. when there are rocks that will break your board. 2. when you know there's a shark in the water."

Bing Copeland, added some info about the board's history:

"Your board #2699 was ordered by a local Hermosa surfer named Steve Lupo on August 3, 1963. I'll send you a birth certificate for your board to your email address.

Bing"

Sure, enough, Bing shared a Birth Certificate (pdf) from his log book when the board was born on 8/3/1963. Super cool!

This thing has taken a beating. 2" balsa stringer, neat red lamination job, big d-fin. What's not to love about it? In the water it really screams (once it gets going). It's kind of like riding a torpedo. I rode this board exclusively in all conditions for a little over a year. It really helped my surfing: strength, balance. Maybe even style.

Lots of gaps in the story. Who was Steve Lupo? How did this thing end up in Santa Cruz? I hope to add a few new stories before the stringer rots through.

Oh yeah: Skip Hoard snapped my pic at Linda Mar one day. I ran into this pic on the wall of a cafe after a morning session.