A couple weeks back, a good friend's mother passed away. The entire family are Christian, and the overall feeling was more celebration than sadness. However, the event still brings up thoughts of our own mortality, and what our purpose is here in this life.
My daily life is spent in an office, generally defined as a cubicle dweller. It's not unusual for this sort of life to generate questions of purpose and contemplastion about impact on the world. The problem arises from needing to generate an income to pay for a lifestyle of some comfort, versus following a more "alive" adventurous life that may not be as financially rewarding.
As a Christian, I have a belief in there being something after our short time on Earth. I believe in the teachings of Jesus, yet have no physical verification of any afterlife. That's the real problem with death - we don't have any physical person to talk to, who has come back from the "other side". Outside of one exception, it's been a one-way path. Faith is all I can stand on, when in this discussion.
Let's say 75 is the average age of death for most humans. The first 20 years (or so) are spent becoming an adult, and growing/learning. Once you are ready for independence, the question becomes what sort of life are you willing or called to pursue. Few seem to appreciate this opportunity early on in their life.
There are many who will spend their entire lives in a basement lab, testing or working with various needs that may be a direct benefit to the rest of us. On the other hand, there are many who will spend their entire lives on a beach, serving drinks and whatever to resort guests. So, which life would be considered more "full"? Both are serving their fellow man, but couldn't it be argued that the beach waiter is getting more engagement with the life we are all given? Isn't the lab tech basically disconnected from the surrounding world?
That's the internal debate I find myself frequently having. I don't see myself directly wasting the life I've been given, but I do question if there is a "better life" I could be living. Then the question becomes, at what point do you stop the "standard" route, and step out into something a bit more engaging.
In recent years, I find myself thinking about how huge our world is. This leads to me concluding what a shame it would be for a person to be born, live, and die all within the same 50 mile radius. We simply have so much more to experience here, and there needs to be more drive to get more engaged in the world around us.
Granted, there are millions who are either physically, financially, or mentally incapable of any dramatic changes. I am not saying they should throw caution to the wind, or put themselves in a harmful situation. On the other hand, maybe there are some small changes they could make to become more active in the world around them.
We all have talents and gifts that are given to us for sharing with others. Most of the time, our "core" talents are things that can be used in numerous locations around the world. There are doctors, lawyers, computer technicians, garbage men, waiters, greeters, and thousands of other jobs available in just about every country in the world. You don't have to stay in one spot your entire life, and probably shouldn't.
To those of you who have already taken some action to expand your life experiences, I applaud you and would ask you to encourage others. Share some your stories, and elaborate on how your experiences brought you to where you are today. Our world has been getting smaller as technology evolves, and it continues to get easier to see more. Get out there and see what the world has to offer you. You may be surprised at what awaits you.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Aren't things supposed to be different now?
**Rant Mode On**
So, we've heard for the last few months about how horrible the George W. Bush presidency has been, and how Barack Obama is going to change all our lives almost immediately.
Last week, Obama was sworn into office (not without some minor issues), and my life is still the same as it was months ago. In fact, there isn't a single thing that has changed as a result of the Obama inauguration. He has had zero impact on my life (so far).
I'm sure the Obama supporters are still promising the world, but they seem to be WAY overselling him. It's almost to the point where it's become idol worship, and Obama will not do any wrong.
Obama has signed some documents starting the shutdown of the Guantanamo Bay prison, thereby releasing many potentially dangerous militant Islamo-Fascists.
I read a story the other day about a musician who had said he felt safer today, now that Obama has signed a order to start working to close Guantanamo Bay prison. I also read another story where the congressman from Pennsylvania said he would welcome the prisoners from Guantanamo into his district (although they only have a minimum security prison in his district).
Now, I'll grant that possibly not every prisoner at Guantanamo Bay is a terrorist, but they also are not randomly picked individuals. They may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that doesn't mean they are completely innocent either.
There are many other countries who are singing the praises of Obama, and saying how much happier they are with him (instead of Bush). Well, need I remind you that this country was built by those who were sick and tired of the rest of the world. Our job has never been to conform to what the rest want, and we certainly aren't interested in pleasing France!!
I sit here and wonder exactly how we are going to be safer, by taking a significantly weaker stance on those who simply want us dead. Terrorists will not be reasoned with, and they have zero regard for innocent civilians. In fact, they use them as primary targets (something the USA avoids). The terrorists will say and do whatever is best to get them closer to their ultimate goal, which would be the complete destruction of the Western Civilization. Obama appears to be opening the door wide open for these radicals. Obama seems to think logic and reasoning will get through to them. I'm not sure he's aware of who he'd dealing with.
Terrorists are known to not have any allegiance to a specific country, and also do not have any ties to a specific government. They operate in the shadows, and they frequently wear masks or coverings. To attempt to use standard military tactics against a cowardly masked guerilla force, simply leads to failure.
Please note, I am not taking any racist stance against a particular color or gender. I also have zero problem with those who have a primary interest of peace, and individual freedom (without harming your fellow man). However, when you base your eternal reward on how many human lives you can take, peace is no longer your true goal.
Our world is not full of terrorists, and our daily lives should not be spent worrying about this. However, we also cannot ignore that there are many out there who have no desire to "negotiate" or be diplomatic.
George W. Bush started his first term with one of the worst attacks on American soil. There were many issues that lead up the accomplishment of that task, not the least of all being a previous administration being soft on terrorism. Bush radically changed direction, and the USA has not seen another similar attack in over 8 years (something most didn't think was possible).
Granted, not every prisoner at Guantanamo will promptly start planning an attack on the USA, but it didn't take many to execute the 9/11 attacks (less than 20).
Do we really want to start randomly releasing terrorists prisoners, simply because liberals think we need to "reason" with them and they will be nice to us? Personally, I'd rather we review each prisoner carefully, before we start sending them away. We also need to make sure they are all on a list and not allowed into the USA for any reason.
My bottom line has always been that I'd rather keep the war off USA soil, and that means it will happen elsewhere. It may not make the rest of the world happy, and that's just fine with me.
** Rant Mode Off **
So, we've heard for the last few months about how horrible the George W. Bush presidency has been, and how Barack Obama is going to change all our lives almost immediately.
Last week, Obama was sworn into office (not without some minor issues), and my life is still the same as it was months ago. In fact, there isn't a single thing that has changed as a result of the Obama inauguration. He has had zero impact on my life (so far).
I'm sure the Obama supporters are still promising the world, but they seem to be WAY overselling him. It's almost to the point where it's become idol worship, and Obama will not do any wrong.
Obama has signed some documents starting the shutdown of the Guantanamo Bay prison, thereby releasing many potentially dangerous militant Islamo-Fascists.
I read a story the other day about a musician who had said he felt safer today, now that Obama has signed a order to start working to close Guantanamo Bay prison. I also read another story where the congressman from Pennsylvania said he would welcome the prisoners from Guantanamo into his district (although they only have a minimum security prison in his district).
Now, I'll grant that possibly not every prisoner at Guantanamo Bay is a terrorist, but they also are not randomly picked individuals. They may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that doesn't mean they are completely innocent either.
There are many other countries who are singing the praises of Obama, and saying how much happier they are with him (instead of Bush). Well, need I remind you that this country was built by those who were sick and tired of the rest of the world. Our job has never been to conform to what the rest want, and we certainly aren't interested in pleasing France!!
I sit here and wonder exactly how we are going to be safer, by taking a significantly weaker stance on those who simply want us dead. Terrorists will not be reasoned with, and they have zero regard for innocent civilians. In fact, they use them as primary targets (something the USA avoids). The terrorists will say and do whatever is best to get them closer to their ultimate goal, which would be the complete destruction of the Western Civilization. Obama appears to be opening the door wide open for these radicals. Obama seems to think logic and reasoning will get through to them. I'm not sure he's aware of who he'd dealing with.
Terrorists are known to not have any allegiance to a specific country, and also do not have any ties to a specific government. They operate in the shadows, and they frequently wear masks or coverings. To attempt to use standard military tactics against a cowardly masked guerilla force, simply leads to failure.
Please note, I am not taking any racist stance against a particular color or gender. I also have zero problem with those who have a primary interest of peace, and individual freedom (without harming your fellow man). However, when you base your eternal reward on how many human lives you can take, peace is no longer your true goal.
Our world is not full of terrorists, and our daily lives should not be spent worrying about this. However, we also cannot ignore that there are many out there who have no desire to "negotiate" or be diplomatic.
George W. Bush started his first term with one of the worst attacks on American soil. There were many issues that lead up the accomplishment of that task, not the least of all being a previous administration being soft on terrorism. Bush radically changed direction, and the USA has not seen another similar attack in over 8 years (something most didn't think was possible).
Granted, not every prisoner at Guantanamo will promptly start planning an attack on the USA, but it didn't take many to execute the 9/11 attacks (less than 20).
Do we really want to start randomly releasing terrorists prisoners, simply because liberals think we need to "reason" with them and they will be nice to us? Personally, I'd rather we review each prisoner carefully, before we start sending them away. We also need to make sure they are all on a list and not allowed into the USA for any reason.
My bottom line has always been that I'd rather keep the war off USA soil, and that means it will happen elsewhere. It may not make the rest of the world happy, and that's just fine with me.
** Rant Mode Off **
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Ozzy sings Dream Theater
More Guitar Hero amusement.
In the "World Tour" version, there is a "gig" where you play along with some celebrities at a New York City New Year's Eve party in Time's Square. When playing guitar, your band partners include Sting on bass, Travis Barker on drums, and Ozzy on vocals. After you get through the gig (which includes some interesting songs choices - the Metallica tune is nice), you get to the game "end credits". During the credits, you and the rest of the celebrities go through the Dream Theater song "Pull Me Under". I was pretty distracted by watching Ozzy and the others, but kept up on the "easy" level of the song.
I don't remember Sting rocking out quite so hard, and I don't recall Ozzy being able to sing quite as well.
So, today I poked around that found this video of the song from the game. Check it out for yourself, and enjoy:
Until next time,
Tim
In the "World Tour" version, there is a "gig" where you play along with some celebrities at a New York City New Year's Eve party in Time's Square. When playing guitar, your band partners include Sting on bass, Travis Barker on drums, and Ozzy on vocals. After you get through the gig (which includes some interesting songs choices - the Metallica tune is nice), you get to the game "end credits". During the credits, you and the rest of the celebrities go through the Dream Theater song "Pull Me Under". I was pretty distracted by watching Ozzy and the others, but kept up on the "easy" level of the song.
I don't remember Sting rocking out quite so hard, and I don't recall Ozzy being able to sing quite as well.
So, today I poked around that found this video of the song from the game. Check it out for yourself, and enjoy:
Until next time,
Tim
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Pro Tools 8 LE installed!!
Well, last night I finally got the upgrade to Pro Tools 8 LE installed.
In general, it went well. There were a couple major missing points in the Digidesign installation directions (like a couple required reboots), but I was going to be surprised if it actually only took less than 5 steps to complete. There was also missing detail in the uninstall routine for version 7.4, but I simply stuck with the basics and got through.
The new look is greatly improved, and certainly has a more modern feel. The black background on the mix view is much better than the previous gray. I like much of what I see, and look forward to getting familiar with the many new updated effect plug-ins.
I will be spending the next couple weeks simply getting my feet "wet" with the new layout and features, before jumping into the writing and pre-production process.
Exciting things to come...
In general, it went well. There were a couple major missing points in the Digidesign installation directions (like a couple required reboots), but I was going to be surprised if it actually only took less than 5 steps to complete. There was also missing detail in the uninstall routine for version 7.4, but I simply stuck with the basics and got through.
The new look is greatly improved, and certainly has a more modern feel. The black background on the mix view is much better than the previous gray. I like much of what I see, and look forward to getting familiar with the many new updated effect plug-ins.
I will be spending the next couple weeks simply getting my feet "wet" with the new layout and features, before jumping into the writing and pre-production process.
Exciting things to come...
Friday, January 09, 2009
Guitar Hero is EVIL!!!
OK, it may be a bit harsh to say Guitar Hero is evil. But, it is a way to easily lose a couple hours without realizing it.See, just after Christmas, I got an "on sale" version of "Guitar Hero World Tour" (with the wireless guitar controller), for our Nintendo Wii system. Being a musician myself, I've always found the game a bit frustrating and challenging. The game does build some basic music skills, but overall the songs aren't played quite the same as reality. So, many musicians will stick their nose up at the game, but I thought it would still be something fun to have around the house.
After a couple weeks, I have found that the game can be quite fun, as long as you don't try to force the game to follow you. You need to treat the whole thing as a game, and simply follow what you are told. In that regard, it's almost like the old "Simon" game where you had to repeat exactly what was presented to you. Guitar Hero is basically a game of "follow the leader".
In the game, there is a "career" path that you can follow. This brings up sets of songs that you need to work through, and then you get an "encore" at the completion of the set. You may also get a "challenge" from a celebrity guitar player, like Zakk Wylde or Ted Nugent (these two are in the "World Tour" version).
Me and my wife are both having fun with the game, either with the career path or simply playing single songs. My wife is also getting a kick out of the various characters you can select for playing, and the outfits you can "buy" for them.
Last week, I saw the WalMart had a combo pack of "Guitar Hero 3" and "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith" for $50. These both include different songs from the other "Guitar Hero" games, and the "Aerosmith" edition isn't all just Aerosmith songs (there are other songs included). This combo pack game did not include any guitar controller, but just the game discs. This was fine, since we only have the one controller anyway.
This leaves me with 3 different versions of the games to work through "career" paths. Each "set" can take up to 20-30 minutes to complete, depending upon the number of songs in the set, and encores. This translates into spending at least an hour on these games, and can take more if you are having fun.
One other thing that I didn't expect, was the optical illusion that gets created in the game. For those who don't know, the game is designed around watching a guitar fretboard, and color indicators will scroll by indicating what buttons and "strums" do go with on the guitar controller. These scroll by from top to bottom, like watching the road. Trouble is, after you go back to the screen without the movement, your eyes are still seeing a certain amount of movement in otherwise stationary images. This is kind of odd to experience, but it is just a symptom of watching the moving grid so closely for extended periods of time. There are other "optical illusion" examples on the internet, that can create similar experiences (I remember one where you stared at an image, and then looked at another which would appear to be moving gears, but actually were not).Between trying to get through the Guitar Hero songs, and the snow this week, I've fallen behind on upgrading my Pro Tools software. I plan on doing the upgrade this weekend, and hope to not spend as much time with the Guitar Hero game. But, the stinking thing is addictive.
And that is why Guitar Hero is EVIL!!!
Monday, January 05, 2009
Studio project Blog - part 1
A month or so back, I promised to start a solo studio project in 2009, and keep a running diary here. Well, here is part 1:
Tonight (January 5, 2009), I'm planning on installing the software upgrade for my Pro Tools LE system. I have the upgrade to version 8, and it involves an uninstall of the previous version. This sort of upgrade is certainly ripe for various troubles, so I'm skeptical about the success. But, I want to get the upgrade completed first, prior to starting any new recording. I got the upgrade a few week back, but a combination of a head/chest cold and the holidays have conspired against me.
So, tonight (or within the next couple days), I will be installing the upgrade.
The next post will be a report on how that install goes.
Tim
Tonight (January 5, 2009), I'm planning on installing the software upgrade for my Pro Tools LE system. I have the upgrade to version 8, and it involves an uninstall of the previous version. This sort of upgrade is certainly ripe for various troubles, so I'm skeptical about the success. But, I want to get the upgrade completed first, prior to starting any new recording. I got the upgrade a few week back, but a combination of a head/chest cold and the holidays have conspired against me.So, tonight (or within the next couple days), I will be installing the upgrade.
The next post will be a report on how that install goes.
Tim
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