My reading list on Pocket, which was once over 400 articles, is presently at zero.
Now to start on Instapaper. 🙂
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Joe Satriani at the Atlanta Symphony Hall
My first concert last night, Joe Satriani at the Atlanta Symphony Hall. As is usual for me I waffled a lot on whether to go but in the end I thought I’d really regret if I didn’t. KW went with me but was bored as she’s not into instrumental music.
Opener was the Steve Morse Band. Good stuff and one song sounded like it might have been Dixie Dregs material. I would have enjoyed a bit more of that.
I enjoyed the show though I thought they needed to make some sound adjustments as the bass & drum were so loud I couldn’t hear Satriani at times. Could have been me though as I was down one hearing aid so removed the other one as it was making no difference by itself. As stated, I enjoyed myself but couldn’t really get into it. Part of my issue was that I knew KW was bored, part was that I wasn’t hearing the lead guitar very well. I’ll certainly give it another go when he comes to town next, assuming I have both HAs available.
Joe Satriani band line-up: Mike Keneally, Marco Minnemann and Bryan Beller. It turns out that they’ve played together as KMB so I’ll have to look them up as they were all quite good.
Joe certainly seemed to be enjoying himself as was the band. Marco did an awesome drum solo at one point and Bryan had repeated short sessions of bassy goodness. I think Mike was playing an awesome guitar but as mentioned I wasn’t really hearing the high end.
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Reading journal
Just finished Subterranean Magazine Fall 2012 which can be downloaded free at the link.
All four stories were good, especially the first, African Sunrise by Nnedi Okorafor.
Currently reading The Cornerstone, by Anne C. Petty. This is an Early Reviewer I got through LibraryThing. It’s not holding my interest and I’m really close to abandoning it. I’ve got a huge number of other books on the pile so while I feel some obligation because it’s an ER book I’m really not interested in giving it much more time.
Two Steps to Improve Your Emotional Life | In Their Own Words | Big Think
Two Steps to Improve Your Emotional Life | In Their Own Words | Big Think
My summary of the article:
Goals
- To be able to choose what we become emotional about and when we become emotional.
- To be able to choose how we act when we are emotional.
Solutions:
- Keep a daily diary of when you become emotional and use this to identify what is triggering your emotions.
- Use that information to learn to recognize those triggers before they set off your emotions and respond more appropriately.
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You Are Not So Smart and You Are in Very Good Company | Think Tank | Big Think
I very much liked this quote…
I take great pleasure in accepting this because I feel a unity in the humility, in the recognition that we are a community of messy, stumbling, fumbling beings tumbling through space wrestling with a confusing gift of consciousness. For me, that has led to a sense of empathy I never knew until I saw my own flaws reflected in the species as a whole, and the flaws of the species reflected in myself.
via You Are Not So Smart and You Are in Very Good Company | Think Tank | Big Think.
Posted in Philosophy
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BBC News – Cern re-creating first web page to revere early ideals
At the heart of the original web is technology to decentralise control and make access to information freely available to all. It is this architecture that seems to imbue those that work with the web with a culture of free expression, a belief in universal access and a tendency toward decentralising information.
via BBC News – Cern re-creating first web page to revere early ideals.
I think that today’s web of wall-gardens that don’t let you share (just try getting anything OUT of Facebook) are a step in a horribly wrong direction.
Posted in Society, Technology
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I was stunned by the last graphic
I knew the “what American’s think” was kind pretty optimistic but it wasn’t until he went to the line of 100 people that I understood how horribly wrong it was.
This is one of my problems with Republicans; they seem to fully support this and favor the rich getting even more wealth because they’re “job creators”. The term they want is “wealth hoarders”.
PS. I don’t believe the Democrats are much better but at least they give lip service to working for the average American where the Republicans clearly don’t give a shit.
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Litany Against Fear — Litany Against Anger
From Dune, obviously. If you haven’t read it go do it now, it’s awesome.
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
My conversion to a litany against anger…
I must not submit to my anger.
Anger is the ravager.
Anger is the destroyer, sowing chaos and pain.
I will face my anger.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has passed I will turn to see its path.
Where the anger has gone there will be nothing.
Only I remain.
Not sure I like lines 2 and 3 but I’m better with two after reading the definition of ravager. I like “sowing chaos and pain” as it indicates what you do to others. Also not sure about line one, it was originally “give in” and I can’t decide which I like.
I’ve never really liked the last line. I always thought “will” was unnecessary.
BTW, the litany again anger is useful for me but really needed by others in my life. My own anger has always been brief and then set aside with apologies where needed.
=======================
My own edit of the litany against fear. I just chopped out anything I felt wasn’t useful and made one substitution.
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings oblivion.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has passed I will turn to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I remain.
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, Random, Reading
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February was great… until it wasn’t
Back in January I went to the Dr for the first time in a couple of years. I had several issues and sleep was one of them. I explained the stressful home situation and my frequent insomnia and he suggested that an antidepressant my help with the stress and anxiety and leave me better able to sleep. I was resistant at first, I knew I was depressed but thought it was just the situation and not anything pills would help, but I was tired of being tired so I gave it a try.
A week in and I could feel a difference. The highs and lows, especially the lows, seemed smoothed out. If zero is “life sucks” and ten is “life rocks” I felt like I was riding a steady five or six. At the beginning of February something, I’m not sure what, happened with KW and suddenly we were good. I loved my wife again, I was super productive at work, I was doing sixes and sevens easily. I was happier than I had been in a looonnngggg time.
But, there was still the tension of the kid in basement and Sarah’s mediocre grades. Tonight Kw picked up Sarah from the tutor and apparently chewed her ass in the car as Sarah rushed past me looking she wanted to cry. There was lull and then she started “talking” to Sarah and I got involved and…
Cutting to the end, it’s 1:30am, we’re probably going to kick Sean, Jacquie and Shane out today, on Shane’s first birthday, and I’ve pretty much decided that I need to get a divorce.
But February was great.
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Run
Good run this morning, I did the north and south loops at the park which turns out to be about 2.6 miles. Can’t run the whole thing yet but only third time out.
Tired later as I didn’t sleep well Saturday. Grouchy for the first time in a while. Sarah gave me a paper she needed reviewed during dinner. She has to turn it in tomorrow.