I came home a little while ago from Music Night with Jason and Bob. Adding Bob to the mix was a real help, allowing us to switch off lead vocals and playing guitar as needed, not to mention occasionally harmonizing with each other. I'd prefer to spend more time on bass, which is the more natural instrument for me, but the flip side of that is that this has been a real opportunity for me to improve on guitar.
Bob and I were able to pull some of the old material we knew together out of the vaults, adding to the song list, though I'd never played some of those songs on guitar before. The quality of the sound is still very rough, being that Bob isn't any more in practice at this point than Jason and I are, but I'm not terribly worried about that at this stage. Lack of a lead guitar player is more problematic, since some of the transitions in the songs are based on lead guitar cues, making parts of some songs very rough. Not to mention that the instrumental sections seem a little dull when the only instruments are rhythm guitar and drums. On the plus side, Bob may not have the vocal range he once did, but the quality is still definitely there.
I don't know how much more we'll be able to get together this year, with the holidays about to keep everybody seriously busy for a while, but I'm looking forward to doing whatever we can, and hope that the new year will find us bringing a few more musicians into the mix.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Roleplaying Update
Holiday scheduling has struck again already, putting most of my roleplaying groups on the back burner. The next Dramaville session won't be until December, and I'm already prepared for it, so there isn't much to do there.
I'll be participating as a player in Mike H's FATE campaign, but the first time I'll be running a game again will be at MEPACon in early November, with all horror material that I've run before.
I've got a decent start on next year's GURPS Cabal scenario, but the truth of the matter is that I've been too tied up with other things to finish it. I know exactly what I'm doing with it; I just need to take the time to do it.
Not sure what I'm going to do after that, though, and I need at least one other scenario to run for conventions next year. The most likely possibility is that I'll just condense some Dramaville material for an easy In Nomine scenario to make sure I have enough to get by, and see what seems inspiring after that. I'd love to run some Paranoia again if I can come up with the right idea for it, and it might be time to bring Fluid to a convention, at least for the next PoliCon, to see what some of the indie crowd might suggest for it.
I'll be participating as a player in Mike H's FATE campaign, but the first time I'll be running a game again will be at MEPACon in early November, with all horror material that I've run before.
I've got a decent start on next year's GURPS Cabal scenario, but the truth of the matter is that I've been too tied up with other things to finish it. I know exactly what I'm doing with it; I just need to take the time to do it.
Not sure what I'm going to do after that, though, and I need at least one other scenario to run for conventions next year. The most likely possibility is that I'll just condense some Dramaville material for an easy In Nomine scenario to make sure I have enough to get by, and see what seems inspiring after that. I'd love to run some Paranoia again if I can come up with the right idea for it, and it might be time to bring Fluid to a convention, at least for the next PoliCon, to see what some of the indie crowd might suggest for it.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Wedding Anniversary
Another part of the reason for the New York trip was in celebration of our wedding anniversary. It's actually very appropriate that my sister-in-law was with us on the trip, since she was also with us on our first date (long story, and a good one). Unsurprisingly, after we returned we ended up discussing the reasons why our marriage has lasted over 20 years, and I thought it might be worth putting those reasons out here for anyone to read.
Shared Values - We both took a fairly serious approach to dating, and discussed all of the Big Issues before either one of us was willing to get too invested in a relationship. I'd been badly burned in a prior relationship when my live-in girlfriend turned out to be wildly irresponsible, and it was just my wife's nature to be cautious with her heart. Not the most romantic approach in the world, but it kept us from getting deeply involved only to find out that there was something about the other that we simply couldn't live with. Knowing that we were on the same page regarding Big Issues allowed us to be flexible about the smaller issues and to know the difference between Big Issues and small ones. So what is a Big Issue? That needs to be defined by the individuals involved.
Shared Sense of Humor - Humor is more than just how well you can make jokes at parties; it's a tool to help people get through the rough spots in life. Used correctly (that is, without attacking each other with it), it can help you handle differences between the two of you when you disagree, and to cope when life deals you an especially rough hand, as will inevitably happen if you stay together long enough. And I'd say that if you don't understand another person's sense of humor, you probably don't truly understand that person well enough to be married to them.
Flexibility - People will change over time, and that includes you and your partner. My wife and I have each probably been three or four different people during the course of our marriage, depending on how you want to define those changes, and each of us had to make adjustments when the other changed. My relatively recent interest in Buddhism would be an example of the type of change I'm talking about. If my wife had been unable to accept that, I'd have to have chosen whether to stay on that spiritual path or stay married. Fortunately, after asking some questions, she was able to deal with my changes, and we continue on. Some couples will run into Big Issue changes that really can't be resolved and may have to break up, and for some couples what is actually a small issue (or small issues, plural) becomes a Big Issue for one reason or another. Sometimes people simply tire of each other and look for reasons to end a relationship, whether they consciously realize it or not.
Flexibility also means letting the small issues go. My wife and I had difficulties early in our marriage because I was (and still am) a much more social creature than she is. When the weekend came, I wanted us to go out with friends and she wanted to stay home. I didn't want to go out without her, and she didn't want anyone else coming to our house. We ultimately agreed that I could go out without her if I really wanted to go somewhere and that I wouldn't argue with her about choosing to stay home. I eventually became more comfortable with the idea of staying home sometimes on weekends. She occasionally agrees to go somewhere, though it remains a real rarity. My friends still think this is a little strange, and there's a running joke that I'm not actually married and just have an actress that I occasionally hire to play my wife in situations where I need one, but it works for us and that's all that matters.
Every couple has things they have to work out, and what those things are will vary with the couple. I suppose my advice here boils down to knowing the difference between the Big Issues and the small stuff, and learning to constructively negotiate the small stuff. And remember that most things qualify as small stuff.
Shared Values - We both took a fairly serious approach to dating, and discussed all of the Big Issues before either one of us was willing to get too invested in a relationship. I'd been badly burned in a prior relationship when my live-in girlfriend turned out to be wildly irresponsible, and it was just my wife's nature to be cautious with her heart. Not the most romantic approach in the world, but it kept us from getting deeply involved only to find out that there was something about the other that we simply couldn't live with. Knowing that we were on the same page regarding Big Issues allowed us to be flexible about the smaller issues and to know the difference between Big Issues and small ones. So what is a Big Issue? That needs to be defined by the individuals involved.
Shared Sense of Humor - Humor is more than just how well you can make jokes at parties; it's a tool to help people get through the rough spots in life. Used correctly (that is, without attacking each other with it), it can help you handle differences between the two of you when you disagree, and to cope when life deals you an especially rough hand, as will inevitably happen if you stay together long enough. And I'd say that if you don't understand another person's sense of humor, you probably don't truly understand that person well enough to be married to them.
Flexibility - People will change over time, and that includes you and your partner. My wife and I have each probably been three or four different people during the course of our marriage, depending on how you want to define those changes, and each of us had to make adjustments when the other changed. My relatively recent interest in Buddhism would be an example of the type of change I'm talking about. If my wife had been unable to accept that, I'd have to have chosen whether to stay on that spiritual path or stay married. Fortunately, after asking some questions, she was able to deal with my changes, and we continue on. Some couples will run into Big Issue changes that really can't be resolved and may have to break up, and for some couples what is actually a small issue (or small issues, plural) becomes a Big Issue for one reason or another. Sometimes people simply tire of each other and look for reasons to end a relationship, whether they consciously realize it or not.
Flexibility also means letting the small issues go. My wife and I had difficulties early in our marriage because I was (and still am) a much more social creature than she is. When the weekend came, I wanted us to go out with friends and she wanted to stay home. I didn't want to go out without her, and she didn't want anyone else coming to our house. We ultimately agreed that I could go out without her if I really wanted to go somewhere and that I wouldn't argue with her about choosing to stay home. I eventually became more comfortable with the idea of staying home sometimes on weekends. She occasionally agrees to go somewhere, though it remains a real rarity. My friends still think this is a little strange, and there's a running joke that I'm not actually married and just have an actress that I occasionally hire to play my wife in situations where I need one, but it works for us and that's all that matters.
Every couple has things they have to work out, and what those things are will vary with the couple. I suppose my advice here boils down to knowing the difference between the Big Issues and the small stuff, and learning to constructively negotiate the small stuff. And remember that most things qualify as small stuff.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
I Don't (Heart) New York
I've just gotten back from five days in New York City, and it's all Harry Potter's fault.
I'd better start again. My wife and her sister are very close, and both are fans of Daniel Radcliffe, the guy who plays Harry Potter in the movies. And so when young Daniel started performing in the Broadway play "Equus", her sister bought tickets for the two of them. As I understand it, there's a scene toward the end involving Mr. Radcliffe being stark nekkid, but the ladies assured me that had nothing whatsoever to do with their interest, and of course I believe everything they tell me. My sister-in-law ultimately saw the play three times in less than a week with a front row seat the third time, so she must have enjoyed it.
And so we ended up scheduling several days in NYC, doing various things. The ladies went to their play while I wandered Times Square (ultimately buying a cheap Talking Heads CD). We spent some time in Madame Tussaud's, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Mahayana Buddhist temple in Chinatown, and the Building Formerly Known as CBGB's (sadly, now a designer clothing store).
I've been to many major cities before, here in the U. S., in Europe, and in Brazil, and I must say that for good and for ill, NYC may be the ultimate city. I love that you can find virtually anything there, and hate the claustrophobic feel of the place. I love that virtually anything is within walking distance or within the reach of public transportation, and hate that choosing to drive would be a seriously white knuckle experience. I hate the cost of virtually everything there. Yes, I know that where I live has a relatively low cost of living and the reasons why costs in New York are so high, but it just feels fundamentally wrong to me that a $25 per person lunch is considered cheap there.
So much of the place feels excessively crowded and like one massive effort to part other people from as much cash as possible as quickly as possible. Every major city has their tourist traps, but New York City just feels like one gigantic tourist trap to me. On the other hand, it's a very exciting place, full of possibilities, and the sense of crowding is a matter of what you're accustomed to. It's been a great place to visit each time (if crazy expensive), and a lot of people love it, but frankly, you couldn't pay me enough to live there. I need a lot more greenery and a lot fewer people and buildings in my life.
I'd better start again. My wife and her sister are very close, and both are fans of Daniel Radcliffe, the guy who plays Harry Potter in the movies. And so when young Daniel started performing in the Broadway play "Equus", her sister bought tickets for the two of them. As I understand it, there's a scene toward the end involving Mr. Radcliffe being stark nekkid, but the ladies assured me that had nothing whatsoever to do with their interest, and of course I believe everything they tell me. My sister-in-law ultimately saw the play three times in less than a week with a front row seat the third time, so she must have enjoyed it.
And so we ended up scheduling several days in NYC, doing various things. The ladies went to their play while I wandered Times Square (ultimately buying a cheap Talking Heads CD). We spent some time in Madame Tussaud's, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Mahayana Buddhist temple in Chinatown, and the Building Formerly Known as CBGB's (sadly, now a designer clothing store).
I've been to many major cities before, here in the U. S., in Europe, and in Brazil, and I must say that for good and for ill, NYC may be the ultimate city. I love that you can find virtually anything there, and hate the claustrophobic feel of the place. I love that virtually anything is within walking distance or within the reach of public transportation, and hate that choosing to drive would be a seriously white knuckle experience. I hate the cost of virtually everything there. Yes, I know that where I live has a relatively low cost of living and the reasons why costs in New York are so high, but it just feels fundamentally wrong to me that a $25 per person lunch is considered cheap there.
So much of the place feels excessively crowded and like one massive effort to part other people from as much cash as possible as quickly as possible. Every major city has their tourist traps, but New York City just feels like one gigantic tourist trap to me. On the other hand, it's a very exciting place, full of possibilities, and the sense of crowding is a matter of what you're accustomed to. It's been a great place to visit each time (if crazy expensive), and a lot of people love it, but frankly, you couldn't pay me enough to live there. I need a lot more greenery and a lot fewer people and buildings in my life.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
A Glorious Morning
I was staying in a hotel in Baltimore early this past Saturday morning. The reasons for being there are a long story, and not really worth discussion. My wife had somewhere she had to be very early, leaving me alone in the room before sunrise, and too awake to go back to sleep.
So I turned out all of the lights in the room and opened the curtains wide, providing a fine view out over the Inner Harbor in darkness. I simply looked out the window for a while, drinking in the view.
Then I decided to do my morning yoga, and spent some time doing that, still facing the window when I could. I had no plans before 1 PM, so there was no reason to rush. There was a bit of a glow on the horizon by the time I was done. After finishing my usual routine, I piled a bunch of cushions and pillows on the bed, building a comfortable little platform to sit on for meditation.
My wife had done the packing and hadn't thought to pack the timer I usually use when I meditate, but this was no problem, since it was going to be a long time before I had to be anywhere in particular and I seriously doubted that I could meditate long enough for it to be an issue, so I got comfortable and settled in.
I'm not sure how long I was actually there. It was at least twenty minutes and possibly as long as forty minutes. By the time I was finished, the sun was just peeking over a building in the distance, and I was able to enjoy simply watching the sun rise for a little while.
Then I had breakfast while reading an inspirational book (taking occasional breaks to enjoy the fine view of the harbor and people just starting to move around in the area) before getting ready for the rest of the day. It wouldn't be anyone's idea of excitement, but it was certainly a wonderful way to start the day.
So I turned out all of the lights in the room and opened the curtains wide, providing a fine view out over the Inner Harbor in darkness. I simply looked out the window for a while, drinking in the view.
Then I decided to do my morning yoga, and spent some time doing that, still facing the window when I could. I had no plans before 1 PM, so there was no reason to rush. There was a bit of a glow on the horizon by the time I was done. After finishing my usual routine, I piled a bunch of cushions and pillows on the bed, building a comfortable little platform to sit on for meditation.
My wife had done the packing and hadn't thought to pack the timer I usually use when I meditate, but this was no problem, since it was going to be a long time before I had to be anywhere in particular and I seriously doubted that I could meditate long enough for it to be an issue, so I got comfortable and settled in.
I'm not sure how long I was actually there. It was at least twenty minutes and possibly as long as forty minutes. By the time I was finished, the sun was just peeking over a building in the distance, and I was able to enjoy simply watching the sun rise for a little while.
Then I had breakfast while reading an inspirational book (taking occasional breaks to enjoy the fine view of the harbor and people just starting to move around in the area) before getting ready for the rest of the day. It wouldn't be anyone's idea of excitement, but it was certainly a wonderful way to start the day.
The Big Bailout
Are you angry about this? You should be. The simple sound bite version is that there is nothing about the government (and therefore the taxpayers) taking on a bad debt that makes it not a bad debt, which means that we are all going to be paying for a series of bad business decisions rather than the people who made those bad decisions. At the end of the day, the majority of the lawmakers decided that it was more important to keep powerful business interests happy than the people they ostensibly serve.
Before I continue, I'll admit that I'm a long way from being an expert. I was one course short of qualifying to graduate from college with a bachelor's degree in economics, so I do know something about the subject, but that was over twenty years ago. I do remember enough of the implications of large banks going under to understand the impact on the larger economic picture, but you can't tell me that there was no other way. I've done only the slightest bit of research and found several more workable suggestions as to how to address the problem without putting the burden on the taxpayers, and I'm certain that the gentlemen in Congress have better informational resources than I do.
The laws of economics, like the laws of nature, can only be bent so far before you have to pay the price. Karma can be a bitch. There is no magic solution here. Things will correct themselves in time; it's only a question of how long it will take, what the full extent of the damage will be, and who is damaged in the fallout. And the majority of the members of Congress has decided that the answer to the last question is the taxpayers. The answer is an old one: "Vote 'em out!" It's the only weapon we have, and we need to show that enough people still care about what is happening that they'll have to pay a price for not listening to the voters.
Before I continue, I'll admit that I'm a long way from being an expert. I was one course short of qualifying to graduate from college with a bachelor's degree in economics, so I do know something about the subject, but that was over twenty years ago. I do remember enough of the implications of large banks going under to understand the impact on the larger economic picture, but you can't tell me that there was no other way. I've done only the slightest bit of research and found several more workable suggestions as to how to address the problem without putting the burden on the taxpayers, and I'm certain that the gentlemen in Congress have better informational resources than I do.
The laws of economics, like the laws of nature, can only be bent so far before you have to pay the price. Karma can be a bitch. There is no magic solution here. Things will correct themselves in time; it's only a question of how long it will take, what the full extent of the damage will be, and who is damaged in the fallout. And the majority of the members of Congress has decided that the answer to the last question is the taxpayers. The answer is an old one: "Vote 'em out!" It's the only weapon we have, and we need to show that enough people still care about what is happening that they'll have to pay a price for not listening to the voters.
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