I recently returned from a trip to Cancun, Mexico, and other than the tequila and the beautiful beach, my most memorable day was one spent at Chichen-Itza, site of one of the well-known Mayan pyramids in the Yucatan Peninsula. The Pyramid of King Kuku lkán, the serpent god, is the centerpiece of the area and dates back to about A.D. 1100. This spectacular pyramid showcases the astronomical, architectural and political brilliance of its creators. During the autumn and spring equinox, due to the position of the sun, one can still witness a shadowy snake moving impressively down the north stair. The story is told that the priests, because of their precise knowledge of the seasons, would come out and address the masses assembled below the pyramid and tell them when to expect rain. The arrival of the rain on the predicted date would cement the priest’s claim that he had a direct line to god who, in the form of the bird-serpent Quetzalcoatl, lived in the temple built on top of the pyramid. The proof of Quetzalcoatl’s alliance with the priests was that if someone clapped their hands at the bottom of the pyramid, the returning echo is a sound similar to the quack of a duck.
As you might imagine — being that I’m a professional in the field of audio — I was duly impressed, and as my wife went off to tour the rest of the site, I stood there like an idiot, clapping my hands over and over again just to hear the sound of Quetzalcoatl cawing at me from the temple high atop the pyramid. I stood there trying to imagine the sound of thousands of people clapping. I tried modifying the sound my hands made to see if the echo would change, but it remained the same. I banged on different objects, but the returning resonance still stayed unchanged. Even a “Whoop” came back as a “Caw.” Even though I was thoroughly amused, I was beginning to receive some dirty looks from the locals as well as the “touristas,” so before I ended up as a heartless sacrifice to Quetzalcoatl, I scurried off to join my wife at the ball court.
Apparently the largest of its kind, this ball court also has superb acoustics, and a low voice at one end of the field can be heard clearly at the other end. This led to another audio moment that amused me for more time than my wife had patience for, and if not for the blazing sun charbroiling us both, I would probably still be there, waving from six hundred feet away and asking her in a various voices, “Can you hear me now? What about now? And now? How about now?”
The pyramid at Chichen-Itza is considered to be one of the wonders of the ancient world, and I wondered how these intelligent people, who could control sound and understand the relationship of the rotation of the earth in conjunction to the sun, could be so brutal and warlike. After a few cervezas — and not much thought at all — I arrived at the conclusion that, as in most civilized nations, the motivating factors are power and wealth, and usually it is those with the most knowledge who attain those two things. Once achieved, it then becomes imperative to hold on to both while, at the same time, amassing more of the same. Disinformation and fear are tools used by a leadership class that requires people to keep coming back for their spiritual and political salvation. If those in power were to share their knowledge with the general population, then everyone would be self-sufficient and the relationship of the Haves and Have-nots would change.
So here I am in the middle of the Mexican jungle imbued with the Mayan spirit, not to mention a few Coronas, and my feverish imagination takes a few leaps and bounds and leads me to another wonder of the world — gain structure. Not the “Check, one two” type of gain structure, but, more importantly, the “Where’s my check?” type of gain structure. I have steady work and I seem to be making money, but there is a hole in my pocket where my cash used to be, and for some reason I seem to be hemorrhaging money — and from my conversations with my fellow workers, it appears that I am not alone.
Now, I don’t think that we are intrinsically different from any other generation or civilization that has come before us, but we do live in a unique and politically charged time. More than ever, I find myself involved in political discussions with other technicians and audio vendors. Everyone has their opinions and beliefs, but it seems that the one thing we can agree upon is that gas prices are on the rise, and because of this, it has become increasingly more difficult to hang on to our cash. Despite our individual political leanings or our philosophical convictions, this economic affront affects us all.
Every day we watch as the price per gallon of gas escalates. In three months time, the price per gallon has risen 70 cents, with no anticipated end in sight. While that may not affect us too much on a small scale, just imagine that every 10 gallons of gas now costs seven dollars more than it did before. Every 100 gallons now costs $70 more than before, and without belaboring the numbers, just imagine if one is planning a small tour of the United States with one bus and a truck. A regional company that uses 1000 gallons of gas in a month’s time has incrementally increased its monthly overhead over the past three months, and at the end of the quarter it has spent about $1200 – $1500 more just in gasoline for fuel, not to mention the money spent on heating the offices or warehouse. If we pass these costs on to the customer, we are reminded in so many ways how, as we raise our prices, our vendors do the same — as do their vendors and theirs on down the line, until it inevitably gets back to us and the gas price then hits us twice.
While the economy is booming and the rich are getting richer, the middle class and mid-level companies are taking the hit. It’s hard to argue with a leadership that has the technology and information, but we are in desperate need of real answers, and therefore real questions need to be asked. I don’t mean to say that we should polarize ourselves, but we, in the audio business, are being affected along with everyone else in the country — and when we look up to the top of the pyramid for direction and guidance, we should expect to receive something substantial and not be cowed by a threatening sound effect from an empty temple.
If it walks like a feathered serpent, and quacks like a duck, it must be blee@fohonline.com.
