What’s on your mind?

[jedimasterkyle]

It's been about a week now since I stopped checking my Facebook, Instagram, Twitter accounts and I think it has somehow affected me positively...

I know I've felt better mentally since I've limited my time on those platforms so much. I only give myself 5 minutes on FB and IG on the weekends before my app blocker locks me out (intentionally) but I'm thinking that I might have to skip them for the next month all together...

 

[avro707]

But you are going to have parents that make accounts for their kids and then other kids will be jealous and it will cause a whole new set of other problems.

Our neighbors went what I think was too far in that they took their son's phone every night and looked through it. But he was one, or more steps ahead of them in that he was using the messaging function of a game to communicate with his GF. He deleted it every evening and reinstalled it in the morning.

That does seem a step too far.

I support the social media policy to a degree but surely for that teen a better solution could have been found than this level of cold-war style spying and secrecy.

Obviously a teen will always win that game!

 

[rm5]

How incredibly useful keyboard shortcuts are. Specifically, I discovered one that copies stuff from one part to another so I don't have to manually rewrite it. Already saved me at least 2 hours of work preparing this score (performing/recording in two weeks).

 

[Apple fanboy]

How incredibly useful keyboard shortcuts are. Specifically, I discovered one that copies stuff from one part to another so I don't have to manually rewrite it. Already saved me at least 2 hours of work preparing this score (performing/recording in two weeks).

You mean command C, command V or something else?

 

[rm5]

It's been about a week now since I stopped checking my Facebook, Instagram, Twitter accounts and I think it has somehow affected me positively... However, Reddit is what's keeping me busy these days reading content while logged out... I just wish that the suspension of my Reddit account is lifted already or as I said earlier, I may have to start a new account to use it...

I need to check Facebook for professional purposes (that's all I use it for anyway), so there's that. I haven't logged onto Reddit in years, hope I never do. That place is horrible. Will never join Twitter/X, either. Logged back into Instagram (I chose to) to post about upcoming ensemble performances. Then I logged back out.

 

[rm5]

You mean command C, command V or something else?

That could also work in this case, but it'd require me to click on every part I wish to copy stuff to. Instead, I can use Control+N to copy to staves above and Control+M to copy to staves below. Option+N and Option+M moves material up/down. Had to assign those myself because there is no keyboard shortcut assigned to these commands by default. This is in Dorico Pro, btw.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I need to check Facebook for professional purposes (that's all I use it for anyway), so there's that. I haven't logged onto Reddit in years, hope I never do. That place is horrible. Will never join Twitter/X, either. Logged back into Instagram (I chose to) to post about upcoming ensemble performances. Then I logged back out.

People say the same to me about LinkedIn aa well. But I’ve not joined and I seem to be getting through life without it.
There are no have to’s when it comes to social media despite what anyone says. It’s a choice.

 

[jedimasterkyle]

People say the same to me about LinkedIn aa well. But I’ve not joined and I seem to be getting through life without it.
There are no have to’s when it comes to social media despite what anyone says. It’s a choice.

As someone who has been applying for jobs left and right, I've seen A LOT of applications lately ask for your Linkedin profile and they dont give you an option to opt out of it. They make the field required and wont let you continue the application unless you put in a legitimate Linkedin URL.

It's ****ING annoying but companies think that having a "professional" social network profile makes you more hirable for some reason when in reality, all I see is sponsored ads and former coworkers posting how they can't land jobs, even to ones they've applied to on Linkedin.

It's an absolute joke.

 

[jedimasterkyle]

On an unrelated note...

I just came back from my lunch break with my dog. While playing outside with him, I looked up at the bright blue sky and saw a few planes fly over. One was an old Cessna and the other was probably a 737 at 30k+ ft.

Then I saw a hawk fly over. I looked down at my dog and noticed he was looking up at them too.

Then, the background noise of the cars...the train...the hustle and bustle of capitalist life was put on mute and all we heard were the leaves falling off of the trees, birds chirping and feeling the slightest of breeze on my skin.

The sun felt warm and inviting and for the briefest of moments, my dog and I had natural peace.

The point of this is to remind yourself that it's completely and totally ok to escape into those moments where time and the outside world stops. These moments happen often but only if we pay attention. We have to be ok with surrendering ourselves to exist in the moment and cherish the good that it can offer.

Granted this moment only lasted for about 30 seconds until my dog lost his mind at the squirrels on the fence and started barking like crazy but still, it's better than nothing.

 

[Chuckeee]

As someone who has been applying for jobs left and right, I've seen A LOT of applications lately ask for your Linkedin profile and they dont give you an option to opt out of it. They make the field required and wont let you continue the application unless you put in a legitimate Linkedin URL.

It's ****ING annoying but companies think that having a "professional" social network profile makes you more hirable for some reason when in reality, all I see is sponsored ads and former coworkers posting how they can't land jobs, even to ones they've applied to on Linkedin.

It's an absolute joke.

That is an abysmal. Makes me very glad that I’m retired.

 

[Apple fanboy]

As someone who has been applying for jobs left and right, I've seen A LOT of applications lately ask for your Linkedin profile and they dont give you an option to opt out of it. They make the field required and wont let you continue the application unless you put in a legitimate Linkedin URL.

It's ****ING annoying but companies think that having a "professional" social network profile makes you more hirable for some reason when in reality, all I see is sponsored ads and former coworkers posting how they can't land jobs, even to ones they've applied to on Linkedin.

It's an absolute joke.

Well I’ve not had that issue, but I’ve not changed job too often in my career.

 

[Apple fanboy]

On an unrelated note...

I just came back from my lunch break with my dog. While playing outside with him, I looked up at the bright blue sky and saw a few planes fly over. One was an old Cessna and the other was probably a 737 at 30k+ ft.

Then I saw a hawk fly over. I looked down at my dog and noticed he was looking up at them too.

Then, the background noise of the cars...the train...the hustle and bustle of capitalist life was put on mute and all we heard were the leaves falling off of the trees, birds chirping and feeling the slightest of breeze on my skin.

The sun felt warm and inviting and for the briefest of moments, my dog and I had natural peace.

The point of this is to remind yourself that it's completely and totally ok to escape into those moments where time and the outside world stops. These moments happen often but only if we pay attention. We have to be ok with surrendering ourselves to exist in the moment and cherish the good that it can offer.

Granted this moment only lasted for about 30 seconds until my dog lost his mind at the squirrels on the fence and started barking like crazy but still, it's better than nothing.

Well said. We moved to the country a few years back. I like that I hear birds and sheep as opposed to cars and neighbours.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

On an unrelated note...

I just came back from my lunch break with my dog. While playing outside with him, I looked up at the bright blue sky and saw a few planes fly over. One was an old Cessna and the other was probably a 737 at 30k+ ft.

Then I saw a hawk fly over. I looked down at my dog and noticed he was looking up at them too.

Then, the background noise of the cars...the train...the hustle and bustle of capitalist life was put on mute and all we heard were the leaves falling off of the trees, birds chirping and feeling the slightest of breeze on my skin.

The sun felt warm and inviting and for the briefest of moments, my dog and I had natural peace.

The point of this is to remind yourself that it's completely and totally ok to escape into those moments where time and the outside world stops. These moments happen often but only if we pay attention. We have to be ok with surrendering ourselves to exist in the moment and cherish the good that it can offer.

Granted this moment only lasted for about 30 seconds until my dog lost his mind at the squirrels on the fence and started barking like crazy but still, it's better than nothing.

Terrific post.

I've worked in some of the worst places on the planet, and one of the key lessons I took from that experience was - exactly as you have written - to remember to take the time to appreciate, savour, relish and savagely enjoy - the small, sometimes deceptively mundane, quotidian pleasures of everyday life.

 

[BotchQue]

This is amazing! I'll need to watch more videos from them. And I appreciate how accessible it is - they explain all the concepts clearly and provide the definitions on-screen. That makes it very useful for non-musicians.

I'd say that's pretty close to what I'm talking about—though not in the context of funk. Though when she mentions the snare drum - it's pretty much the same thing in swing. Though I think in funk (and rock, too), the guitars and drums carry the groove more. In swing, the bass does. Regular swing is indeed different from funk like what you're showing—in my opinion.

Perhaps me demonstrating in a recording is a better way to show you, not sure. Does this help?

Ah, yes, you were talking swing and I brought up a funk example, but great demo of swing feel! You have some serious chops, glad I could hear you play!

I really enjoy all the Dead Wax videos, I always learn things; make sure to watch the one where they discuss Silk Sonic!

Fun factoid, the host who plays keyboards and has the fully black beard, Jack Conti, is not only the husband-half of the great ewetube band Pomplamoose, but he's also the CEO of Patreon!

 

[rm5]

As someone who has been applying for jobs left and right, I've seen A LOT of applications lately ask for your Linkedin profile and they dont give you an option to opt out of it. They make the field required and wont let you continue the application unless you put in a legitimate Linkedin URL.

It's ****ING annoying but companies think that having a "professional" social network profile makes you more hirable for some reason when in reality, all I see is sponsored ads and former coworkers posting how they can't land jobs, even to ones they've applied to on Linkedin.

It's an absolute joke.

Oh, yep! I've noticed this, too.

What's worse is one I just filled out where it asked for my LinkedIn, which is fully up-to-date and all that... but I saw NO way to get a profile link! Googled it, and all the buttons the instructions said to hit weren't available for me. Luckily the LinkedIn profile wasn't a required field.

EDIT: Plus, all my Facebook profile is anyway is professional. I have the same stuff on there as I do on LinkedIn.

 

[rm5]

Ah, yes, you were talking swing and I brought up a funk example, but great demo of swing feel! You have some serious chops, glad I could hear you play!

I really enjoy all the Dead Wax videos, I always learn things; make sure to watch the one where they discuss Silk Sonic!

Fun factoid, the host who plays keyboards and has the fully black beard, Jack Conti, is not only the husband-half of the great ewetube band Pomplamoose, but he's also the CEO of Patreon!

Thanks! Not my best playing, but hopefully it got the point across. I tried to be as functional as possible. Also, in case you couldn't tell, that was an upright piano - been loving playing the Yamaha U1's recently.

I think where Dead Wax wins against Rick Beato is that they actually EXPLAIN stuff. I love Rick, but often he just glazes over really niche terms that only professional musicians/producers/sound engineers will understand. For instance, in the video you shared (thank you, by the way—never actually properly thanked you for sharing that!) - they put all the definitions on-screen. That's incredibly valuable - like, if someone was talking about chemistry or some other thing I don't know - I'd at least want some context! So I'm glad they did that.

And then of course, not to mention the actual content of the video, which is excellent. Another win against Beato there - sometimes Rick's interviews are wayyyyyy too long and I can't watch the whole thing - sometimes he focuses too much on one thing for too long. These are the perfect length! Don't mean to **** on Rick Beato, because I think he's really great, just pointing out Dead Wax's strong points! So when I get some more time to myself (concert season currently, and 9th week of the 10 week term), I'll be sure to watch more of their videos!

I do have to ask though - are you a musician? Sounds like you are, based on the posts I've read! To me, you seem to know quite a bit about production and recording.

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

Horseflies.
Horseflies are on my mind.
Specifically on my leg. 24 hours after being chewed on (Literally. These guys don't just drill a neat hole, like mosquitoes do. They get a shovel and dig a bl**dy great hole. And then inject something in that I'm allergic to.) I now have a great welt on my calf.
So now I'm trying to find some anti-histamine cream that will settle it down and let me sleep.
Heat. Sometimes heat will help.

 

[Macky-Mac]

Fire season is here now in southern California.

 

[BotchQue]

I do have to ask though - are you a musician? Sounds like you are, based on the posts I've read! To me, you seem to know quite a bit about production and recording.

Played trombone from gradeschool thru college jazz band (highest-chaired non music major), learned piano, fiddle (my great-grandfather's) and harmonica by ear, and played in bar bands from 1979 thru 2010; picked up pedal steel, mandolin, and tenor sax over the years too, for the bar bands.
I'd always played with recording, thought I'd drift into composing as a hobby (Hans Zimmer has nothing to worry about!) I kept playing "open stage nights"/jam sessions since to keep my chops up, but they seemed to have dried up around here any more. Still an avid listener.

 

[rm5]

Fire season is here now in southern California.

Oh goodness... please stay safe.

 

[The Clark]

About to enjoy a bubble bath in the dark with scented candles.

 

[VisceralRealist]

Oh @VisceralRealist, I need to ask! Where else do you want to visit? Just curious since you mentioned that.

Just noticed you asked this! I would see more national parks in the area, for one. I've been to Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce Canyon, but I would love to see Saguaro, Petrified Forest, and Arches. I also haven't seen much of New Mexico, and I know there are a lot of interesting places to see there. I've always wanted to travel the Southwest in an RV. So who knows, maybe some day I'll find someone who'd want to do that with me.

 

[rm5]

Just noticed you asked this! I would see more national parks in the area, for one. I've been to Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce Canyon, but I would love to see Saguaro, Petrified Forest, and Arches. I also haven't seen much of New Mexico, and I know there are a lot of interesting places to see there. I've always wanted to travel the Southwest in an RV. So who knows, maybe some day I'll find someone who'd want to do that with me.

Arches is pretty great--at least I thought so when I went. With New Mexico being my home state, I can keep talking endlessly about it, but the Jemez mountains (and the San Juan in Colorado, if you haven't already been there) are great. Of course Santa Fe is nice, too. I can also say that New Mexico has one of the best music scenes (in most genres) out of the whole southwest, which I'm heavily involved in.

EDIT: I know this isn't the southwest, but the Teton National Park is great to visit if you haven't already been. I've gone there twice.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Actually saw the sun briefly this morning. First time this month. It wasn’t warm or for long, but at least I got out with the camera in the garden for a bit.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Exceedingly pleasant (dry, bright, sunny, but cold) morning (a very welcome change).

Received my flu jab and Covid booster, and am now sipping an afternoon coffee.