Dye A Log

Let us talk. Some items...

1) Teh Blogggg

I think everyone's status on the blog is set to admin. Feel free to post. This is for everyone.

2) The Mixes (once they begin)

We need to discuss a schedule for mixes. My thought is, depending on how many members join, that we break into teams. Lets suppose we have 12 members. I was initially thinking of 6 teams of 2 (and I use "team" strictly in the sense of "a collective of members who create mixes in the same month"--there is no mandate to collaborate or anything of the sort). Okay, so, 6 teams of 2 would allow everyone to create 2 mixes per year. This schedule offers ample time for digestion of the mixtapes, which I find is necessary. By my way of thinking, being bombarded with 5 or more mixtapes is rarely good. HOWEVER, I also realize that the concept of mixtape clubs is a sort of indirect narcissism. It is a selfish act, creating a mixtape for someone else--it gives as much if not more pleasure to the creator than to the recipient. It's a blatant "look at me!" mechanism, and I think the more often we produce mixtapes, the more involved people will remain. I was in a mixtape club before this one (a club whose name I can't mention) and I think part of the reason that it fizzled out was because of how spread-out the schedule was. There were 2 people a month who created mixes, and if they failed to do so, many people didn't feel rewarded enough to contribute the following month. So, I propose that we do the following: arrange the schedule so that we would each be creating a mixtape every 3 months or so. Either 4 teams of 3, or 3 teams of 4. Please chime in on this.

3) Content

We can't limit any content. Everything is fair game. Everything. I hasten to insert the caveat that, perhaps if something on our mixtape could be seen as strongly offensive, we might want to offer a disclaimer before guild members listen. I don't know a lot of you, and I can't gauge your sensitivities. I really have no sensitivities, aside from cats in renaissance clothing, so I don't mind what goes on, but some people might. Even if it is Frou Frou's "Let's Go" (sorry Troy). It all has to be fair game, that is the guiding ethos of the guild.

4) Aesthetics

I mentioned that I was a member of a mixtape club prior to this one. I think another reason that it went under was that there was a subtle game of one-upsmanship with regards to the decoration of the mixtapes. No kidding. People kept trying to make more hip and exciting designs to accommodate their music. Some of it was really good, because it bolstered the theme of the mixtape. But I don't think we should impose any rule stating that we have to decorate our mixtapes. We can mail them in a clear jewel case with no identification whatsoever, if we feel like it. If we want to hand-draw the Harlem Globetrotters on the disc and encase the case in Astroturf, that is fine too. The guild knoweth no limits.

My goal is that, by Sunday, membership will at least be finalized enough to where we can get the first 2 or 3 months schedule hammered out, and I can randomize a schedule for the guild. Please post your thoughts below, and once again, if you have yet to do so, send a reliable physical mailing address to trainsmoke@gmail.com. I will collect them all and redistribute them to everyone. Also, a few of you have suggested friends, to whom I have extended invites. None of them have enrolled yet, so please encourage them to do so. If they need me to resend the invite, I will, but weez gots to be swift on this. Lets get moving.

Ready.......break