March 2012
1 post
3 tags
61/100: #spring
Now that February is over, it is likely that the local weather will trend warmer and nicer. Spring is coming soon.
It’s not that winter is bad. It’s just cold and, at times, bleak and depressing. The trees are bare. The grass is a pale greenish brown. The air is dry.
I look forward to those few spring days when the temperature stays in the mid 60’s. Flowers bloom. The...
February 2012
29 posts
60/100: #sixty
Sixty is…
…the number of seconds in a minute.
…the number of minutes in an hour.
…the atomic number of neodymium.
…an electrical utility frequency (in Hz) found in the US.
…the number if edges on an icosidodecahedron.
…the number of years celebrated in a diamond wedding anniversary.
…the highest score possible in darts with a single throw.
...
1 tag
59/100: #fog
It’s a foggy morning here in Greensboro, NC.
Generally, fog is a type of low lying cloud. It’s a collection of tiny water droplets that appear out of existing ground moisture. It’s causes are many. Superficial musings aren’t enough to fully explain fog. It’s a complex matter.
While rain, and other forms of precipitation, pose a moisture problem. Fog creates a...
58/100: #slow
I’ve been enjoying taking things slowly lately…
A 4:30 am alarm ignites the day. A cup of coffee with some light ambient music fills the air as the sun rises. Focused gym time helps get my blood flowing. Breakfast eaten at a comfortable pace gives me the nutrition I need. A half hour to get Ivy ready for daycare is enough time to lovingly interact and socialize with my one year...
3 tags
57/100: #illusions
Often, I find myself discussing recording techniques with others. Several times a week, over different conversations, I’ll hear “I like an organic sound” or “we want analog warmth.”
While “organic” and “analog” are nice buzz words, they pose two problems. First, there is nothing organic about recording. It is totally electronic and, at...
6 tags
56/100: #hats
Which hat to wear?
Lord Smithfield has donned the “cone of shame.” Or, as the vet calls it, an e-collar. His surgery went well. We go in for a follow-up this morning. It’s kind of sad to see him run into everything because of this giant plastic cone on his head. Its function is to prevent him from scratching his eye. It’s a weird hat.
Last night, we launched a new...
4 tags
55/100: #storms
The first time I heard Sammy Hagar was on MTV. His video for “I Can’t Drive 55” was in high rotation in the summer of 1984, back when MTV showed videos. The video was full of driving antics, rebellion, and some downright good guitar playing.
I was surprised the next year when he would go on to be the new lead singer of Van Halen. Not only that, but 5150 played better than...
3 tags
54/100: #ketchup
When my alarm went off at 4:30 am, I smelled coffee brewing, preset from the night before. My recurring Metallica audition dream came to an abrupt end, again. A few minutes later, as I cradled a cup of joe, I thought of the day ahead. One word came to mind: ketchup.
Not the tasty fry dipping kind, though. More like “catch up.” Tuesday was an unexpectedly full day. Yesterday, I...
3 tags
53/100: #dogdays
On a long enough timeline, anyone who has a pet has to deal with illness. Sometimes it’s something minor, like an ear infection. Other times it’s major, like a tumor or an eye problem. Yesterday was a double dose of trouble for Lord Smithfield.
Last October, we noticed that Smitty’s eye had become increasingly red. He had just recovered from a mast cell tumor surgery. Upon...
2 tags
52/100: #magnetic
For Metallica’s 30th anniversary, they played a mighty three night stint at the Fillmore in San Francisco. In addition to reuniting with original guitarist Dave Mustane for a song, they also performed four new songs, ones that were recorded during the Death Magnetic sessions and omitted from its 2008 release.
Outtakes usually have a clear cause for deletion. Perhaps the feel wasn’t...
3 tags
51/100: #snow
Yesterday was the first snow day of the year in Greensboro, NC.
Snow days in the south are particularly dangerous. The slick terrain is unfamiliar to most drivers.
Also, our infrastructure isn’t equipped to immediately clear the roads. We have salt trucks, but they aren’t always staffed or available.
There is an often inaccurate exageration regarding southern folks and snow. ...
50/100: #fifty
Fifty is…
…the atomic number of tin.
…the number of states in the Unites States of America.
…a denomination of US currency which features the face of Ulysses S. Grant.
…the number of yards equal to one half of an American football field.
…probably the average speed (in miles per hour) at which I travel.
…the number of days after Easter, celebrated as...
2 tags
49/100: #yoga
Ah. Om. Oo.
The most relaxing fitness activity I’ve experienced thus far is yoga.
Yoga originated sometime in the 2000 BC era in India. Then, it was a style of meditation which focused specifically on the attainment of tranquility and spirituality.
Nowadays we, here in the Western world, experience yoga mainly as a class you can take at your local health club. Hatha yoga, or the yoga...
3 tags
48/100: #wish
Just about every album that was popular in the 70’s, 80’s and early 90’s has received what’s called a “remaster” treatment.
What is a remaster? Mastering is the technical process of preparing a collection of stereo (or mono) mixes for commercial use. This stage of audio production entails sequencing, loudness, and equalization.
In the first decade of CD...
4 tags
47/100: #homophones
In the interest of taste, I wanted to write a piece on taste. I was drawn to the term “palate.” I was surprised that the word which sounds like “palate” can mean three very different things, depending on its spelling.
A palate is either that soft spot on the roof of one’s mouth or one’s intellectual taste. Lately, I would argue that Def Leppard agrees with my...
3 tags
46/100: #run
Yesterday was the 45th day of the year and my 45th blog entry. I lost count. I posted a duplicate no. 44 before correcting later in the day.
When I started blogging, recording, and taking better care of myself earlier this year, I thought, “What comes next after 100 days?”
Yesterday, I entered a ten mile race.
Disney’s inaugural Tower of Terror Ten Miler launches at the end...
1 tag
45/100: #valentine
Happy Valentine’s Day!
The Feast Day of St. Valentine was originally a day that the early Christian Church observed the martyrdom of several men who happened to be named Valentinus. There was no specific Valentine of old. It had no romantic connotation then, either.
The first sign of romance being associated with Valentine’s Day was in the middle ages in Europe. Geoffrey...
2 tags
44/100: #ice
When the pond near my house has a thin layer of ice on it, I know it’s been cold for a few days.
What a cold last couple of days it has been here in Greensboro.
Still, it’s been a very mellow winter by comparison. Last year, when we brought Ivy home from the hospital, there was a half-foot of snow on the ground.
I usually listen to Cinderella’s Long Cold Winter during...
3 tags
43/100: #smitty
Happy Birthday, Lord Smithfield!
You are eight years old today. Wow!
It seems like yesterday that we brought you home. Then, you were the size of a small cat. Now, you are 80 pounds of awesomeness.
Thank you for…
…stealing my socks.
…walking with me in the afternoon.
…greeting our house guests with much enthusiasm.
…not howling at my bad songs.
...
1 tag
42/100: #pens
Ballpoint. Extra-fine. Fountain. Sharpie.
There are lots of pens from which to choose.
In the ballpoint genre, there’s the classic Bic with the clear body, blue or black ink, and flimsy plastic top. One might also enjoy “clicky top” or “twisty bottom” tip expression systems. These usually have opaque shafts…sometimes with promotional logos and the like.
...
2 tags
41/100: #bananas
I like it when, on video games, one’s health quotient goes up as a result of finding food.
I particularly like it when, on monkey based video games, one’s health quotient goes up as a result of finding bananas.
Lately, I’ve been eating a lot of bananas. They are nature’s perfect snack—delicious, nutritious, and portable. I’ll often pack two or three in my...
40/100: #forty
Forty is…
…a song by the band U2 from their 1983 album War.
…the atomic number of Zirconium.
…the number of winks in a short sleep.
…the number of seconds it takes for some to solve a Rubik’s Cube.
…the number of hours in the traditional American work week.
…the number of days in the Christian season of Lent.
…the number of weeks in an...
3 tags
39/100: #bus
From the fall of 1985 through the spring of 1989, I rode the bus to school.
My brother Joe and I attended a parochial school across town. There was one bus for the whole city of Fayetteville, NC. With close to 50 student riders, a one-way trip was 90 minutes long.
The route was repeated in the afternoon. This made it somewhat equitable if you got on early and rode for an...
2 tags
38/100: #oats
On most mornings, I eat a plain bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. I also have a side of scrambled egg whites. This, I am told, is a healthy way to start the day.
As I write this, and take short breaks by slurping spoonfuls of oat porridge mush, I wonder why it’s considered healthy.
From personal experience, although oatmeal tastes bland, my mornings feel more sustainable and energetic. ...
37/100: #coffee
I used to get up early for different reasons.
There was a time when 4:30 am didn’t mean gym time. In the fall of 1997, it meant: “it’s time to open the coffee shop.”
Then, in Chapel Hill, I lived about 3 miles from the center of town. Parking is expensive in the Hill. I rode a bike to work.
There’s a reason the town is called Chapel Hill. It’s on a very steep...
3 tags
36/100: #nostalgia
As I write this, I am 36 years old. I’ve lived for 18 years twice.
When I was 18, I was a freshman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In February of 1994, I had just booked studio time in Charlotte at the White Room recording studio. The session was in March. I was practicing my songs.
Every Monday night during my freshman year, I took a break from my studies to perform...
5 tags
35/100: #smalltalk
Small talk is a part of life. Informal, general conversation helps the uneasy silences in social situations like parties and meet & greets. The weather is a nice, neutral topic for small talk.
After recent atmospheric conditions are discussed, conversation shifts to either family or occupation. “Do you have any children?” or ” What do you do?” are common questions...
3 tags
34/100: #adrenalize
When the grunge movement hit in the early 90’s, for me it didn’t seem like a big deal. Sure, Nirvana and Pearl Jam were everywhere in early 1992. To me, they sounded like the rawer metal bands around at the time—Jane’s Addiction, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains. It didn’t seem like a dethroning event. It was.
In the early 90’s, while I listened to a lot...
2 tags
33/100: #one-third
One third complete. I’m beginning to think that I’ll miss these daily posts once day one-hundred gets here.
Yesterday was a productive day. With Ivy back at full health, she returned to daycare. She enjoys playing with the other kids. They usually just crawl around on each other and look really happy all the time.
I’ve settled on final work mixes for six songs for this...
32/100: #thirty
Thirty is…
…the number of blog entires I completed as of two days ago.
…a square pyramidal number (16 + 9 + 4 + 1 = 30).
…the number of days in September, April, June, & November.
…the atomic number of Zinc.
…the price, in silver pieces, of Judas’ loyalty.
…the number of songs on the White Album.
…the minimum age in which one can...
January 2012
33 posts
3 tags
31/100: #mondays
Mondays have a bad rap. I guess it’s because, for most, Monday marks the beginning of a new work week.
I like Mondays. Next to Sunday, it’s my favorite day of the week. For me, Monday is a day of rejuvenation, re-commitment to purpose, and a general “let’s get fired up about the week” kind of day.
Because most musicians tour and perform on weekends, I rarely have...
30/100: #sundays
Yesterday was a fun day with my daughter, Ivy.
Holly has been working the Sunday shift lately. Although flying solo with an older infant is twice the work, I enjoy our father-daughter time.
Sunday is also a day off from the wellness program. Along with not going to the gym, I’m also free to eat whatever I’d like. We usually start the day at 5:00 am with a homemade...
2 tags
29/100: #swing
“It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.” Duke Ellington/Irving Mills (1931)
A few weeks ago, Holly asked me to go swing dancing. Not foreseeing my rather odd interest in Def Leppard of late, it seemed like a good idea. And so, in the spirit of doing something different and new, last night swing dancing it was.
Holly and I have a minor background in social...
5 tags
28/100: #hysteria
When Def Leppard’s Hysteria came out in the summer of 1987, I bought it at the Record Bar at Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville, NC.
On Saturdays, my brothers and I would trek the short, mile walk to what seemed like the center of the universe. No sidewalks or cross walks made the trip treacherous at times. In Boy Scouts, we learned to always walk on the left side of the road, facing...
2 tags
27/100: #miscellany
Yesterday was full of random, common happenings.
I picked up meds for Lord Smithfield.
…signed a lease on a climate controlled storage space.
…updated three programs on the studio mainframe.
…mixed an ambient track.
…solved the transient problem, once and for all—probably.
…walked Lord Smithfield.
…booked three new studio projects.
…visited...
2 tags
26/100: #park
One of my favorite things to do is to take a walk in the park near my house. Battleground Military Park, incidentally a National Park, rests not two miles from our front door.
The paved perimeter of the park is an easy two mile stroll. When I’m training for a race, heading out the door, up to the park, around the park, and back home is 5 miles. If things continue to go as planned,...
4 tags
25/100: #progress
Yesterday, I had a chance to dig in to the album I’ve been working on since December. The project is mostly a redux of out-takes from The Return of Spring.
If you’re familiar with the history of Spring, you know that it is the third installment in a seasonal triptych that began in 1996 with The Lessons of Autumn. The second part, The Promise of Summer, was released in 2002.
This...
2 tags
24/100: #redux
When a literary or audio-visual work is worked on after the fact, it is said to be a “redux.”
The “Special Edition” of the original Star Wars trilogy, where TIE Fighters were adjusted, scenes and backgrounds were added, and things outright changed, is a redux.
Redux is not to be confused with “remake.” Lately, there has been an epidemic of 80’s remakes,...
5 tags
23/100: #whammy
One shortcoming from learning to play the guitar in the 80’s has been a deficit in my natural vibrato. In 1988, the whammy bar was alive and well.
A tremolo, bigsby, or whammy bar is a rod that is attached to the bridge of an electric guitar. The bridge is where the strings enter the body of the guitar. They travel across the body, to the neck and frets and finally end up wound to posts...
5 tags
22/100: #perception
On some evenings, just after sunset, I look at the stars. The brightest star in the sky isn’t a star, though. It’s Venus, our sister planet.
With temperatures nearing 900 degrees Fahrenheit, it wouldn’t be a fun place to visit. Venus is nice to look at, though.
Near the late spring, Venus disappears for a while. When she returns a few months later, she appears in the...
4 tags
21/100: #observations
Whirring around the nucleus of its atom, an electron is said to have certain properties. Sometimes it behaves like a particle. Sometimes it acts like a wave. Sometimes, it behaves like we do.
The gym has been slightly busier lately. When I get to the cardio room in the morning, I take note that the five or six people, on various machines, are evenly spread out. My natural inclination is to...
1 tag
20/100: #twenty
Twenty is…
…a film by Cameron Crowe about the band Pearl Jam.
…a common denomination of US currency.
…a type of Rolls Royce.
…the number of faces on an icosahedron.
…the atomic number of Calcium.
…an index for visual health (20/20).
…the number of ounces in a Venti coffee.
…short for one’s location, i.e. “What’s your...
4 tags
19/100: #walking
I had no intention of walking as much as I did yesterday. I guess sometimes, we walk.
The morning started out just great. 4:30 am wake up, no snooze. Coffee. Navel gazing. Cold drive to the gym. Squats. Hot drive home. Shower. Baton trade-off with Holly for morning Ivy duty. Oats and egg whites for breakfast. Kissed Holly goodbye as she left for work at 6:00 am. Ivy awoke at 6:15 am....
3 tags
18/100: #meow
I imagine that herding cats is a difficult profession.
Chaos. Claws. Unorganized fur.
Last week I commented on Edison’s numerous failed attempts at improving the filament in a light bulb. I wonder if, in between fresh ideas, he ever tried a faulty filament in a different bulb.
Perhaps.
With the new record, I’ve been trying a discrete mixing method, which is, essentially, a way...
1 tag
17/100: #outings
I love a nice outing.
A trip to the mall. A walk in the park. A stroll through Target.
Since Ivy has entered our life, outings are different. A simple trip to Starbucks requires a laundry list of preparation. Is the diaper bag fully stocked? Which stroller are we taking? What is the temperature outside? When did Ivy last eat? Usually the last thing on my mind is what I’d like to...
3 tags
16/100: #weights
Milo of Croton, a famed Greek wrestler from 6th century BC, purportedly carried a calf on his back everyday. As the calf grew, so did Milo in strength and size.
Today, I begin working with weights. Dumbbells. Barbells. Smith Machines. Cables. All that jazz.
I enjoy weight training. I’ve noticed a tightness in my left wrist since I stopped regularly using weights. Resistance...
3 tags
15/100: #apps
There was a time when purchasing an “app” was only something done at a restaurant.
Hors d’oeuvre, meaning “apart from the main work,” is the first course of a meal. Its spelling and pronunciation are disparate and, for some, confusing. In common parlance, the term “appetizer” is usually substituted for these little bits of food.
I first began seeing...
3 tags
14/100: #parenthood
Jacket Tips. Bumble Jeans. Duck-a Duck-a Duck-a.
My daughter, Ivy, is creative with her words. Like most kids her age, she says things like “Mama” and “Dada.”
What I like more is her gibberish. When she says “Jacket Tips” it sounds more like a quick, whispered “jckatps.” “Bumble Jeans” comes out as “bmbljeeens.”
If she...
2 tags
13/100: #leppard
Before the multi-platinum elegance of Hysteria, the British metal group Def Leppard was a hard rockin’ band.
When I was seven years old, my brothers and I used to save up our allowances in order to buy metal records at the Post Exchange. Living on an Army base near a small California town, the PX was the closest thing to a mall we were going to get.
The music selection at the PX was...
4 tags
12/100: #deadlines
“Work expands so as to complete the time available for its completion.”— Cyril Northcote Parkinson, The Economist (1955).
The above adage, known as Parkinson’s Law, has been on my mind since yesterday afternoon.
While artistic endeavors have a general free-flowing nature, it seems essential to set an arbitrary time limit upon the flow. Otherwise, creativity can barely...