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New Drum Kit

Sort of.midi-drum-m2-300x300I ordered this today. Bleep Labs “Bleep Drum” kit.

Should be fun to build. I think I can map it to my Akai MPD26 controller and my buddy who’s a drummer can actually play it live.

I got the MPD26 a couple of years ago, and have hardly used it. It requires software for proper use that my computer simply can’t handle, and the free software version it came with it just too limited. I really bought it to trigger samples from tv shows, movies, etc. I’m not interested in “making beats”.

I have, however, played with some of the sampled sounds that are built into the software, and there are some very cool ones.

Anyway, not having a computer that can handle the newer software has forced me to concentrate on non-computer noise, which has turned out to be a good thing, I think. I am digging the “noise music” and sound collage stuff.  It would be nice if I could use this device though. My Kaoss Pad is limited to 4 samples.

I post my stuff on soundcloud.com, and I follow/am-followed-by a few people. One of them (this guy below) uses some similar equipment to me, but also uses samples from a shortwave radio. I like that. I like his stuff. I especially like the stuff he tags “drone”.

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Apple Sucks

Today our 2011 MacBook Pro took a big dump. Gray screen, green-ish apple icon on startup, then blank screen. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

Turns out there is a new class action lawsuit against Apple about the 2011 MacBook Pros. They are all starting to fall apart.

No comment on this topic from Apple.

I am really really tired of Apple’s bullshit.

 

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Test Preparations

I am preparing for my 1st Kyu test in Aikido. This is the last test before black belt.

In December it will have been eight years since I started. That seems like a long time, but it’s a hard art to learn, and we don’t give the belts away or “sell” them. When I hear about someone earning a black belt in an art in a few years, I now laugh.

Anyway, this is a pretty long test. I lost 3 weeks of prep due to a case of poison ivy, but now I’m in the groove and feel pretty good about it. I have 2.5 weeks to finish preparing myself. There’s nothing on this test I’ve not done before, but more is expected of me. More flow. More centered. More finesse.

The longer I practice, the more I realize what they say is true. Black belt is a beginner’s belt. When you get black belt, it means you have enough knowledge to really start learning.

Our lead instructor has now been practicing for 30 years. He is a 4th degree black belt. Our other teachers, 2nd and 1st black belts, have been practicing for 16 years each. We are lucky to have them. Each presents aikido in his own particular way – each fantastic, sharing a common core, but emphasizing different aspects.

It’s a long road, but I like it.

Sometimes I feel that if I’d started this when I was younger it would be easier. That is possible. But I also think that by starting at 42 it has forced me to learn a more efficient aikido, not so reliant on muscle and brawn.

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Texas Elections

OK, a little commentary about last night’s election results in Texas.

Governor’s race. Not surprised that Abbott won. I had hoped a better showing for the Democrats, but not surprised.

L.Governor: Bummed heavily that our new L.Gov will be a tea party talk show host idiot. This is really not a good thing for the state. Am I surprised? Not really. I think that mid-term elections draw a certain kind of voter, and a lot of them are straight party voters.

George P. Bush is going to be the new Land Commissioner. Great. Another goddamned Bush coming into office. He’s the son of the “smart one” — gaaaah!  Whatever. He’s yet another silver-spoon rich boy, born not only on 3rd base but halfway to home plate. A real “man of the people”, I’m sure.

While I’m not smart enough to really express this very well, I think that the weird conservative religiousity of this state is just so detrimental to moving forward. It really permeates everything. I have some religious friends who are actually pretty liberal, and I really am glad that they exist and I respect them very much, but I have to say that overall the religious environment of Texas is of a conservative hillbilly grade-school dropout variety. That’s most of the South, actually. I’m a southerner. I know.

It is strange to feel completely disconnected from the prevalent cultural identity of your state and/or city, but the truth is this: I am not alone. It isn’t like the Republicans got 90% of the vote. They just won enough to win the election. Texas is not as monolithic R as it would appear. If it were, I would already be gone or be quite insane.

Small steps though, can be meaningful. My employer just recently extended full benefits to same-sex couples. Full equality. It is recognized as not only being the right thing to do, but good business. And we are in a very conservative area.  So I view this as a very positive development.

 

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Dallas Ebola and the CDC

When Dallas became the first city in the country to have a patient diagnosed with Ebola, the director of the CDC said that they would “stop Ebola in its tracks” — or something like that.

When two nurses came down with Ebola, and one of them had been on a plane, it appeared likely that more would come down with the disease in spite of the CDC’s proclamation.

No one did.

No one else, to this day, has gotten Ebola from that initial case and the two nurses.

The nutcases were coming out of the woodwork, claiming the “government is lying to us”, saying the CDC is incompetent, etc.

They were all, as usual, totally wrong, as stupid people usually are.

They shut Ebola down. First case in the US shows up at somewhat unprepared hospital — two sick nurses — contact tracking and monitoring — the CDC did it. The knew what they were doing.

The people of the CDC are professionals, unlike the talk radio buffoons and other conspiracy nuts.

Congrats, CDC.

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Creative Output

This morning I started compiling a partial list of my creative output since 2005.

I say partial because I’m not including every single blog post, image, or other little online thing I’ve done. The guideline is this — if I think it was “significant” or I liked it a lot, it goes on the list.

This will include writing, drawing, video, music, sound, podcasting, and photos/images.

I think I’m doing this to prove that I exist.

This blog doesn’t see a lot of traffic, yet I still write on it constantly. I suppose I don’t really care that much if it is read. I think that means I’m a writer.

 

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TV Notes

I often write about how I don’t really watch any new TV shows. Today I want to write about two new shows that I’m watching.

OK, I am watching them on Hulu. It’s not like I’m rearranging my life around them. But here they are.

The Flash. I like this new show. Three or four episodes in, and I think they have done a good job adapting the comic book material to the small screen. The effects are good. I’m hoping that the Flash gets faster and discovers more powers as the series continues.

Constantine. I watched episode 1 last night, and it was really cool. Good magic/demonology kind of stuff. Kind of like Dr. Who, but not as stupid. (Sorry – I kind of like Dr. Who, but it can be pretty dumb sometimes). I am praying to Satan that this show be successful and continue for a few seasons.

That is all.