Author: robertjames1971

I'm wicked tall.

2024 RPM Challenge Day 5/29

Here is what I wrote on my lame ass tumblr page:

My update for day five is identical for my update to day four. Just as I was drifting off to sleep I forced myself to wake up and noodle out a couple of bass guitar lines. Together they make up song number eight.

That’s all I have for February 5th. Hopefully I will be more productive tonight, but I somehow doubt it.

Musical Meanderings

Lame. Two days in a row of the absolute bare minimum. I need to do more tonight, but it’s a work in the office day today so there won’t be a lot of time. It would have been nice to be further along by the end of the first week, but I think I am about where I usually am at this point. I know I have a lot of progress in me, I just have to get it done. Or something like that.

Maybe before I sleep tonight I can work out the song form for songs seven and eight and in the morning tomorrow before the world wakes up I can crank out a crap load of rhythm guitar parts. I am off work tomorrow for Jen’s birthday (WOOHOO!!!). We have a couple of house painters coming over to give estimates, and we are planning on a birthday dinner together. I am not sure what we’re planning for the rest of the day. Hopefully our Star Wars re-watch or something goofy and fun like that. Maybe we’ll go shopping for computer components or something else like that. You know, the things my beloved bride likes to do for fun. There probably won’t be a lot of time for music and I am 100% fine with that. Tomorrow is my sweetie’s day and I am up for anything she wants to do. 

PC

Daily writing prompt
The most important invention in your lifetime is…
View all responses

I don’t know every invention that happened in my lifetime. I’m sure the military has some crazy stuff that would blow all of our minds if we knew about it. My lifetime started in May of 1971 and there have been a lot of things that have been invented over that time. There is one that stands out to me though.

The personal computer. Whatever it may have been. Google tells me the first PC was invented in 1971 so we may have to squint a little to put it into my lifetime, but you get the deal. IBM and Apple had the first consumer level computers that I knew of. The Apple II was everywhere when I was in school. Microsoft’s deal with IBM to license their Disc Operating System (DOS) rather than sell it allowed for IBM clones and soon enough they were everywhere too.

DOS led to Windows, the Apple II led to the Macintosh which eventually led to the iPhone which more or less brought us to where we are today. Everyone in the civilized (or should I write that as “civilized” because, ya know… nazis and shit) world has some sort of computer or smart phone. The internet is essential to operating our society now. Computers are basically our lifeline.

On a more personal note, the invention of the Personal Computer led to me having a career as a programmer. It led to my wife having a career as a software engineer and a software architect. It led to our family earning a living. I would call that a pretty important development, wouldn’t you? Damn right.

Hey Google Bard, generate an image of a jedi knight using a macintosh computer.

One Year

We lost my mother one year ago today. After years and years of dementia she was finally free of all of her physical pain and mental confusion. Would she see it as release the way we hope she would? I have no idea.

I got to spend a little time with my father tonight. He was mostly okay, but he’s having an annoying, persistent health issue of his own that flared up quite a bit yesterday and sent him briefly to the ER. He’s fine, he just needs to do what the doctors tell him to do. When he does, he improves. He just doesn’t do it enough. Insert the frustrated sigh here. 

Now that I am home I have spent the last 15-20 minutes asking Google Bard to generate images of Jedi Knights in goofy situations like being a contestant on The Bachelor, riding a tiger, or watching a baseball game. I feel like I’ve found my new favorite internet hobby.

No music progress today. It’s getting close to bed time and I haven’t accomplished anything. Well… I picked off a few things at work today, which was nice. Just no musical accomplishments, that’s all. There is also a zombie movie that I want to watch tonight so that I can listen to a podcast discussing it on the drive to work tomorrow. 

So many things to do.

Burlington, VT Yesterday

I told my wife that I will eventually photograph all of the city of Burlington, Vermont but it will take years as I am sort of doing it one little street at a time. Here are a few random views from yesterday’s visit to celebrate my step son’s 21st birthday.

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2024 RPM Challenge Day 3 & 4/29

I haven’t checked in with the RPM Challenge in a couple of days. How have I been doing, you ask? Have I made any progress? Sure.

Here is what I wrote on my dumb tumblr page to sum up day three:

Not quite as much as I had hoped to get to on day three, but not bad.

I put rhythm guitars onto two songs (songs number three and five). I finished the MIDI bass and MIDI drums and worked out the song form for song number four, and added a new idea that now has the bass/drums/form finished. That new one is song number six.

I failed to write any melodies or lyrics so I still don’t have anything ready for vocals. I am going to be traveling quite a bit today so there’s a good chance day four might be a bust. Maybe I’ll sneak something in after dinner tonight. Let’s hope.

Musical Meanderings

Okay, so we’re up to six songs in three days. Not a bad haul to start the month. No lyrics yet, that’s a little concerning, but half of the songs have their full rhythm section down. 

Now here is my dumb tumblr summary of day four, yesterday:

I expected to get shut out on day four. It was my step son’s 21st birthday and we drove to Vermont and back to celebrate with him a little. I would have been okay with not making any progress at all, but I did manage to sneak one little thing in.

Just before I fell asleep I noodled a couple of bass guitar ideas and called them song idea number seven. It’s probably terrible, but it’s in the pipeline now so it will become a song one way or another.

Musical Meanderings

Something is better than nothing, even if it’s barely something and not terribly interesting… at least I don’t think it was terribly interesting. I was falling asleep as I worked on it, and I haven’t listened back to it today.

Tomorrow is another potential day of being shut out. It’s my work from the office day this week so my morning won’t see any work. Maybe I will sneak some in before I go to bed again. We will have to see. Wednesday could be a big day. It’s Jen’s birthday and we both took the day off. I might be able to squeeze in some serious productivity in the morning at least. We have a couple of contractors coming over to give house painting estimates and I do want to do something nice for Jen’s birthday, so there might not be that much time for music. I’ll see what I can do. Thinking about Wednesday is getting way ahead of myself though. Let’s get some shit down tonight before we worry about anything else, m’kay?