CHC Comics: Nerd Edition 2.0
Posted on December 12, 2020 by CHC   ᐃ ᐁ

An Asimovian Dilemma

 

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Thoughts @ Large: 72
Posted on December 6, 2020 by CHC   ᐃ ᐁ

• I was on a kick the last few weeks to reorganize our closets, toss old unused items, clean out the bookshelves and recycle clothes.  It dawned on me that this probably reflects an instinctual response to the chaos of our post-election days, my need for a sense of order amidst the crumble.  I must say that our own closet-cleaning has been nearly as satisfying as our national house-cleaning.

• Trump is plainly unhinged.  That a sociopath like Trump has tens of millions of followers is plainly frightening.

• The fact that I don’t engage on Facebook doesn’t mean I don’t care for you.  It just means that Facebook doesn’t get to decide how I interact with you.  On-demand mundane contact with one’s friends was never an expectation in pre-social-media days.  So what changed?

• My spouse idly asks me one evening, would I ever get a tattoo?  I say, sure.  So she asks, of what?  And I answer, of a tattoo.

• You know life is stressful when watching Judge Judy feels like an escape from reality.

• My spouse said she would vote for me to be president.  I responded that she is the one who should be president.  She said, that would be scary.  I said, not really, you would just have to know whether to single-click or double-click the nuclear button.  We both grimace.

• The CDC just announced its priorities for what segments of the population should get the COVID-19 vaccine first.  From what I see, my spouse and I won’t be eligible until March or April anyway.  That’s OK.  We have the resources, and patience, to stay safe.  Unlike those who have to go to work, who have to care for others, who have to interact with the public, who have to keep the cash flow going to live somewhat-normal lives.  I don’t envy Biden.  Most of America is impatient.

• That the Beatles were a tight band, even at the end, can hardly be disputed after watching this video of the 1969 rooftop performance of Don’t Let Me Down.  What is disappointing, however, is that the late keyboardist Billy Preston, practically the fifth Beatle at that time, has less than two seconds of video airtime in a song that was carried by his performance.  My point: The Beatles were no exception in how egos rule in the music business, just as they do in every other creative sphere.

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More Music @ ART @ CHC
Posted on December 5, 2020 by CHC   ᐃ ᐁ

Or, What I’ve Been Doing Half the Pandemic

Fifty years ago, in my college days, I had a four-track reel-to-reel tape deck on which my friends and I would record our original songs, mostly in the confines of my dorm room.  (My belated apologies to the guys in the adjoining rooms.)  Anyway, my fascination with writing and recording songs never left, even after my college friends dispersed and my tape deck rusted.  But thanks to (a) the magic of music software and (b) a new guitar and (c) the privilege of being retired, I’ve been able to re-explore recording.  After five months of tinkering, I was finally able to produce something listenable.

My efforts this year were focused on just one song, Company Man, whose origins date to the early 1980s.  This is the first song I produced from scratch on a digital platform, which allowed me to add orchestration along with editable drums, guitars and even vocals!  I am really amazed at what music software can do, even in the hands of an amateur like me.

Well, enough intro.  You can hear the song here at my ART@CHC site.  As always, please use earbuds or a sound system — laptop speakers are absolutely the worst way to listen.  Thanks for letting me share.  Hope you’ve had the time and energy to be creative too.

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