Memorabilia is defined as things kept because they have sentimental value or because they are associated with some important event or person. It's connected with memory or relation. However, certain collectors are interested in memorabilia, regardless if they have a memory of or relation to the object. For example, the first edition of a LP they never had or remembering a concert they never attended. The world of memorabilia is flooded with fake objects. Even the certificates of authenticity are fake. Some are obvious fake objects, others are not so obvious. Allegedly, around 9 out every 10 Pink Floyd signed or autographed items listed for sale are fake. The provenance, i.e. to provide contextual and circumstantial evidence for its original production or discovery, by establishing, as far as practicable, its later history, especially the sequences of its formal ownership, custody and places of storage is important. But, if the story is too good to be true, it probably is. Fake memorabilia isn't a problem in the gothic country genre. First, the market is close to zero. Second, the genre is authentic. Third, no one would come up with such a devious idea and live. In 2013, I almost placed a bid on the original .357 String Band "Fire and Hail" album cover painting. It was listed on Ebay by the artist himself, Joseph Huber (and brilliant banjo player). He wrote: "This is a one-of-a-kind chance to get some killer 'streetgrass' memorabilia!" "Streetgrass" needs an explanation. On the distributors (CD Baby) website there is a statement: "This ain’t your grandaddy’s bluegrass, this is streetgrass". Very apt. I let this one-of-a-kind chance go. You have to live with the choices you make in life. I don't know remember the final price, but I think it was sold at a moderate price. Joseph Huber has also made the painting for Graham Lindsey's third album "We Are All Alone In This Together", in the same style. A couple of years ago, I got a new chance to become an art collector. I was offered to buy an original (but unused) album cover painting, but I turned the offer down. Later, I found the source of inspiration at an exhibition. The threshold of originality of the unused album cover painting could be questioned. The resemblance with the better known artist was striking.    
       

Memorabilia can be a great investment, if you know which items to invest in. For example an old banjo. Earlier this year Joseph Huber listed his banjo on Ebay. From the ad: "This is the banjo I used throughout all the .357 String Band years excluding the very first (2005-2011). It was used every single show during those years and also used to record all the released albums: Ghost Town (2006); Fire and Hail (2008); and Lightning From The North (2010). It is a Deering Maple Blossom (E851), proof of purchase/ownership card (included) states purchased on June 24, 2005. I am selling "used/as is." It is perfectly playable as is. It could perhaps need a general set up, but aside from aesthetic/superficial markings that is has collected over the years (see pics) of touring, it's good to go. It has an ebony fingerboard with floral mother of pearl inlays; a curly maple body with a dark walnut stain; bronze tone ring; Deering original tuners and added "railroad spike" 7th, 9th, and 10th fret 5th string tuners for capoed/alternate tunings. The skin has is my second one used from 2009 onward so it's got some wear, but perfectly good for many more years. It will come in the original hard case that has definitely been through some rough times. The general tone of the Maple Blossom banjo design is for loudness; crispness, and brightness and this one is no exception. So keep that in mind as far as your aesthetic preference." The auction started at $1 799. The winning bid amounted to $2 240 (7 bids). I didn't place a bid. It was probably for the best. This would probably have triggered a process of cold acquisitive greed in the pursuit of the upright bass (Rick Ness), the guitar (Derek W. Dunn) and the two mandolins (Jayke Orvis and Billy Cook). I'm content with having all .357 albums and the solo albums by Joseph Huber, Derek W. Dunn, Jayke Orvis and Billy Cook on cd. This was a really great band, read more here (opens in a new window). Below are twelve rotating images of the Deering Maple Blossom from the ad (cropped and made quadratic). 

The blog title is associated with the Wells Fargo account fraud scandal. Their rank and file employees were faced strong pressure to cross-sell products, "eight is great". The basic idea was to get every bank customer to sign up for eight products and services, regardless of whether they actually needed them. I also try to promote my product to others. However, the product is free of charge and no strings are attached. I launched the website on 1st March 2014. This is eight years ago, "eight is great". The first blog entry I posted had the dramatic title "So it begins...". Since then I have posted an anniversary blog post this time every year. The second blog post (2015) had the expectantly title "So it continues...". Here, I discussed the past, present and future for the site. The third blog post (2016) had the prosaic title "And so it goes on and on and on and on and on...". Here, I did some merciless following up on ambitions and promises. The fourth blog post (2017) had the patronizing title "The necessity of content gardening". Here, I stated that a website, with proper content gardening, could live forever. The fifth blog post (2018) had the technical title "Ratchet effect through organic growth”. Here, I speculated how web indexing and algorithms drove traffic to unprecedented levels. The sixth blog post (2019) had the glorifying title "5 years and 100 000 hits". Here, I rattled off statistics lengthwise and crosswise. The seventh blog post (2020) had the dutiful title "The show must go on". Here, I concluded that the responsibilities I have towards society are too important to be calling it quits. The eight blog post (2021) had the explanatory title "7 is the number following 6 and preceding 8". Here, I complained about muddling through in the time of the pandemic. Today, it's time again for a new blog post. The visitor counter indicates 182 591.

Assessment

Executive summary: The website has operated successfully for the last eight years. New content has been added with regularity and to a sufficient degree without any deterioration in quality. The website is in need of a minor review, primarly with the intent on updating existing texts and removal of dead links. A plan for this has been developed. Minor disruptancies in the operation of the website have occured, but this haven't affected production or quality. The coming year we will see a strong focus on content and the management and development of the site.  

Visitor statistics

To go from zero to 180 000 visitors took 2 889 days. Business was slow in the beginning. Then the web indexing and Google algorithms began to kick in. The average number of days to reach another 10 000 visitors has normally been around 130-140. The last year has been a record year. More than 30 000 visitors during the last year. All time high.  

Department statistics

I wrote one new article last year, listed one more artist in the table, created zero new lists and wrote 30 blog entries. I also have a list of 4-5 bands waiting to be included in my prestigious article series. 

Most visited pages

The five pages below are the most visited. The order has shifted over time. The start page (Home) is and have always been the most visited page. Not very surprising. The second page is the list "10 essential gothic country albums", which comprises a canon of must-have gothic country albums. The third page "Artists" is a simple list with links. Review of "Fossils" (Sons of Perdition collaborative album) is placed as number four. The "About" page with mission statement is a newcomer and placed as number five. The Sons of Perdition article page belonged to the five most visited pages for many years. It's now placed as number seven. 
 

Flaws

The website has been up and running almost twenty-four seven. During planned network maintenance my web hosting privider experienced an issue with one of their core switches (2021-03-05). They experienced an issue with their service due to a disturbance in their network (2021-06-12). I have a backlog of work. The website contains certain obsolete information and dead links. I will make a complete overhaul when I find the time. Last year I felt compelled to disconnect the YouTube module on the site since the videos are living matter. If you stumble over any obsolete or incorrect information or any dead links don't hesitate to contact me and I will fix it. I take some pride in that the website is updated. 

Reflections

I haven't received a single e-mail from market or web solutions companies where they claim earnings from the site. The site is non-profit and free of advertisment. This is the way it has been and will always be.

Future

I will go on untiringly within the limits of family, work and other duties. 

Stereo racks, stands and cabinets are hideous. There is no question about it. The relevant question is why. The explanation may be quite simple. Simultaneously trying to fulfil two opposing ideas, aesthetic and stereocentric. Which of the two ideas do you support? The answer depends, almost always, on whether you are a man or a woman. My personal experience is that women doesn't appreciate when a high-end stereo and all its necessary accessories dominate a room. When you are (and want to remain) in a relationship you have to be ready to compromise and sacrifice. As for personal experience, I had a stereo rack in fake teak with dark tinted glass doors (I know, but it was from the early 1980's). It was thoroughly scrutinized before cohabitation and later marriage. It didn't make it. Well, you sacrifice pawns for the greater good. Besides, the rack was an awful piece of furniture. Other key decisions could tip the scales. The placement of loud speakers are almost non-negotiable. Needless to say, acoustic values and considerations always outrank aesthetics. Stereo racks, stands and cabinets are not only extremely ugly, they are often expensive. The Quadraspire Q4 EVO with spikes in the picture cost over $700. Still, it looks just like a modernized tea trolley. Spikes are used to couple the mass of the speaker to the larger mass of the floor for stability and diversion. The spikes need to be mitigated. Spike base dissipates vibration away from the electronics (the turntable in particular). But there are simpler and cheaper solutions. A low budget alternative is the IKEA furniture LACK with the standards 22x22", price approximately $10. The classic side table was introduced in 1979. Very functional. We moved to a smaller place a while ago. This had huge consequences for my stereocentric view of the world. My cds are nowadays stored in a small closet from floor to ceiling in double rows. I must be really motivated if I want to listen to a cd placed in the inner row. Compromise and sacrifice are an integral part of life. You have to live by the US Marine Corp mantra, "Improvise - Adapt - Overcome". But, neither of these verbs are my strong suit. 

Spotify has published their final accounts for 2021. They made a modest profit. It's hard for me to comprehend and accept. I'm shocked and appalled. I never thought this could happen. The operating income amounted to €94m ($108m). Spotify has incurred significant operating losses in the past, to say the least. The accumulated deficit amounts to €3 220m ($3 689m). An almost unimaginable figure. With profits of this magnitude, Spotify will have eliminated the accumulated deficit in the year of 2056. But, it was not streamed music that made Spotify profitable. It was controversial podcasts. Podcaster Joe Rogan signed a $100 million deal in 2020 giving Spotify the exclusive rights. The Joe Rogan Experience has a massive audience, and is the no. 1 podcast in more than 90 markets. Neil Young decided to withdraw his music from Spotify because it gave a platform to Joe Rogan, whom scientists have accused of promoting falsehoods about vaccines. Neil Young spoke out: "They can have Rogan or Young. Not both." Joe Rogan defended himself. "I do not know if they're right. I don't know because I'm not a doctor; I'm not a scientist. I'm just a person who sits down and talks to people and has conversations with them." CEO Daniel Ek is not known for good media management. The first line of defense was to state that Spotify is a platform, not a publisher. It didn't work. The second line of defense was the pathetic "We’ve heard you..." statement. The Communication Department burned the midnight oil making damage control purée. This included publishing the already existing Spotify Platform Rules, and highlighting the rules in the creator and publisher tools and adding "content advisory". Late and lame. CEO Daniel Ek said: "That doesn’t mean that we always get it right, but we are committed to learning, growing and evolving." It didn't work, either. The external controversy spilled over to internal turmoil. The employees were not impressed of how the management handled the matter. On the contrary; quite a few of them were angry, upset and disappointed. They live under the illusion that the company acts according to a code of conduct. The open and soft internal culture met the harsh and brutal reality. How will this play out? What's done is done, the dog barks and money talks.    

Foddershock are based deep in the coalfields of southwest Virginia, in the small town of Clintwood in Dickinson County. They are an obscure band whose artistry is heavily influenced by the four D's...the Devil, Drugs, Death, and Dysfunction. They have self-produced and self-released nine albums on their very apt "label", Inbred Outcast Records. I have managed to get a hold of four of their albums: "Roadkill Expressway", "One Good Eye", "Inbreds From Outer Space" and "Sordid Details Of The Human Condition". I don't mean to blow my own horn, but this is quite of an achivement since the difficulty level is ridiculous high: self-released cd-r albums sold locally and I live 7 064 km (4 389 miles) from the local market. Five albums are still missing in my collection: "Ghost Of Lonzo", "‎Black Lung & White Lightnin'", "‎Corn On Macabre", "Somewhere Between Heifer And Hell" and "God Awful Truth". There are no digital releases or streaming. I would like to write an article about Foddershock, but since I haven't listened to all of their albums, I'm afraid I would not do them justice. However, some bits and pieces are uploaded on Youtube, for example "Die In Jail" from "Corn On Macabre", "Dyin' To Make A Livin'", "Mountain Misfit" and "Searchin' For The Cure" from "‎Black Lung & White Lightnin'", "When Coal Was King" and "Evil Ways" from "Somewhere Between Heifer And Hell". Collecting rare cds and cd-r is hard work. Normally, I use several search methods. Systematic and random trawling is one of them. Monitoring through wantlists, wishlists and saved searches is another. Contacting, stalking and harassing people is a third method. In this case I probably have to add a fourth method: getting feet on the ground. Fly overseas, rent a car and drive to Clintwood, VA and not leave until I have found a copy of each and everyone of them. This coincides with an unfulfilled dream I have: a road trip from coast to coast. However, this roadtrip doesn't include any tourist attractions or scenic views. This roadtrip goes through the deep dark underbelly of America.