on code ..

Thinking back on taking programming programming classes in school, java and c++, I couldn’t have been more bored. I had no reason to care about flipping the order of characters or determining how long a string was. It all meant nothing to me. The tiny little details that at the end of a semester added up to .. nothing.

Then I found myself working with linux and learning about bash, and now .. I can actually do something with code. I can write cronjobs that execute when I need them to, I can write scripts that execute when the server starts up. I can ensure that services are running .. I could do real work.

I have appreciation for the people who enjoy the tiny details, but I could never stay interested enough to stay around to the point where I could do anything of personal value.

In the last couple of years I’ve been able to work with puppet and that’s been just great. With code, I can set up servers exactly how they need to be and if someone mucks around with them, the servers bounce back to their original settings. This is the kind of coding I enjoy, I can see results immediately and more importantly, I can see value immediately.

I am trying to go back and re-learn some things about code that I’ve long forgotten and have never used, but it’s work, and it’s not fulfilling work. It’s digging out parts of my brain that I’ve never used, it must be the former catholic part of me that thinks suffering is necessary.

August 6, 2011 | Filed Under geek | Comments Off 

reboot

With the home purchase and wedding planning going on, there’s been little time left for anything else. I’ve been doing my best to keep up with my reading projects and making sure I hit the gym 3x a week, but anything else has pretty much been ignored.

As things have settled down and with the year half-over, it’s time to reboot and replan. I have a hard time feeling like I’m making any progress without some structure. So this week has been spent with pile of books, a yellow legal pad and things.app. I have a pretty good idea of how the rest of the year should work out in terms of goals.

I’m also happy to get a big project started at work, something I’ve been working towards for the past few years. This will be a good opportunity to show off my ideas and prove that they work.

July 30, 2011 | Filed Under geek, personal | Comments Off 

My Aircraft

“My aircraft.”

I just finished rereading “The Checklist Manifesto” which seems to have become one of my “give it the once-over every year” books. The last section is an overview of the US Airways Flight 1549 which landed in the Hudson River. The phrase “my aircraft” really hit me in a good way.

When things went south and Captain Sullenberger realized that both engines had lost power he look over the flight from the co-pilot Jeffrey Skiles. The book details several of the reasons why he took over (for example, the amount of flight time with that particular aircraft) but reading that single phrase encapsulates an enormous amount of discipline and ownership. The ability for someone to rely on their training without panic and to take on responsibility in the moment is tremendously impressive to me.

I work in a pretty low-discipline field, (TMTOWTDI being one of the more well-known responses to fixing issues or getting things done) but the idea of rigor and discipline for problem solving always interests me. I envy the focus and need to concentrate on narrowing down issues to their core and finding universal ways to communicate about the problem along with determining a solution.

March 5, 2011 | Filed Under personal | Comments Off 

George Winston: live and sleep inducing

I was thinking about a few more concerts that I did the sound for. George Winston may have been the most uncomfortable performance that I ever personally witnessed.

Winston plays sleepy/new-agey piano music that I can tolerate for maybe 2-3 tunes, but after that it just makes me tired. I was responsible for setting up microphones and running sound reinforcement for the show. I met briefly with his manager prior to the performance to ensure that things were set to his specifications. I’ll never forget the look in his face when he assured me that, “George will play an encore.”

Winston played for somewhere between 70 and 90 minutes, it all ran together. The audience was in for maybe the first third of the show, but then from my vantage point, I could see people shifting in their seats, looking around and yawning. When he finished the last tune, there was a collective leap to their feet as the audience started streaming for the doors.

About 10 seconds after finishing the last tune, George ran back out to the stage with a guitar to play an encore of slack-key hawaiian-influenced music. It was so uncomfortable to watch him starting to play while people were actively leaving. About 60 seconds into the tune, the exit doors were covered by ushers who where trying to get people to return back to their seats. Not exactly leaving the audience wanting for more.

February 21, 2011 | Filed Under music | Comments Off 

The Result of Quality

I’ve been on a big David Simon kick since I’ve been re-watching ‘The Wire’ with Jen. Although it took me a few episodes to dig in when I watched it the first time, I (like many folks) became enamored without the show. Critical acclaim naming the best TV Series ever is not to be dismissed.

The side affect of “The Wire” (for myself) is being unable to watch any other cop-related programming without a fair amount of teeth gritting at the low quality writing and ridiculous plot lines.

Simon’s show “Generation Kill” had the same effect on me when attempting to watch “The Green Zone”. Generation Kill showed a view of the Iraq War from an embedded journalist and how misconstrued so many of the efforts were. The voices of the soldiers felt real and true. Hearing lines like “Get your game face” on from Matt Damon in “The Green Zone” just made me wince. I made it about 30 minutes before giving up.

From a technical nerd standpoint, I love the way that Simon (or rather the directors he chooses) uses sound and visuals. Music is very rarely used unless it comes from a real source; a car radio, or music appropriate for the environment. GZ (like many hollywood films) uses silly, obvious music to tell you exactly how you should feel, “this is tension, this is drama” rather than letting the actors tell the story. GZ also uses the nausea inducing shaky-cam which makes me physically bothered (I shouldn’t be surprised, the director, Paul Greengrass made the unwatchable Bourne films) . David Simon uses the camera to highlight the content and not obscure it. With few exceptions, Simon focuses on story above all.

The results of quality is showing how far the bar can be raising by demonstrating the results of a valiant effort and commitment to telling a story in the truest way possible. “The Green Zone” was a hackneyed story with mediocre performances.

February 6, 2011 | Filed Under films | Comments Off 

Lyle Lovett vs Dwight Yoakam

I spent the summer of 1999 working sound for the Interlochen Center for the arts. It was a great opportunity to see how professional artists tour. I was amazed by how quick a touring staff is able to set up and tear down within a day. Two of the artist that made the most impression (for very different reasons) were Lyle Lovett and Dwight Yoakam.

I’ve been a fan of Mr. Lovett for a number of years. His album “Joshua Judges Ruth” is still one of my favorites. Tremendous song writing and an amazing group of musicians. This staff and group were exactly what I expected, totally professional and ready to go. They set up full lights, sound and instruments like navy seals. When the show was ready, Lyle stepped off the bus, hot lady on his arm, both dressed like they were going to an opera.

The show was great and tear down was exactly like the setup. Everyone knew what they were going and it felt almost effortless. The staff and musicians were cool and confident and worked well together. The experience with Mr. Yoakam was the complete opposite.

Once Dwight’s stage was set, they began the sound check. Apparently they had just released a new project, but no one could remember the the single. They had to scrape up a copy of the CD to play over the PA in order to relearn the tune. The poor front-of-house tech had to play the track at least a dozen times in order for the band to memorize the chord changes. Mr. Yoakam had the safety of a teleprompter for the lyrics, but even he was struggling with the music.

The show that night went equally as bad. There was nearly constant feedback from the monitors, and I’m positive that was the last night the monitor guy was employed by the Yoakum organization. The band was adequate and Dwight was a decent showman, but there was nothing professional about it. The musicians were agitated and the roadies looked beat up and worn down.

I learned a lot that summer about how I want to work. I want to have the experience and confidence that I know my job and will execute as expected, even when things don’t go as expected.

February 6, 2011 | Filed Under music, personal | Comments Off 

Milton Babbitt 5/10/16 – 1/29/11

I just read about Milton Babbitt passing away. When I was in school, Babbitt was often brought up as an quintessential 20th Century composer. While much of his music didn’t appeal to me, his idea and concepts of music have stuck in my craw. He may be best know for a well-referenced essay, “Who Cares If You Listen”.

For some reason, his thoughts on how series music need not appeal to the general public didn’t seem to register with many composer that I met in school. They were often embittered at how little acclaim they received for their efforts and were unyielding in their need for approval while rarely giving the audience worthy material.

I was very fond of the idea of smaller, concentrated groups performing whatever arts they enjoyed to those who also enjoyed it. This allows those who wish such activities to continue to do so without cluttering or reducing their work for easier consumption. The great thing about any art is how the finest ideas eventually leak through and those willing to listen/absorb or consume, will discover them on their own time. But

==

“Admittedly, if this music is not supported, the whistling repertory of the man in the street will be little affected, the concert-going activity of the conspicuous consumer of musical culture will be little disturbed.

But music will cease to evolve, and, in that important sense, will cease to live.”

– M. Babbitt

January 29, 2011 | Filed Under music | Comments Off 

Thinking about Sonny

When I was a music student, I read biographies of pretty much any musician I could grab from the library: John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Pablo Casals, etc. The story of Sonny Rollins and The Bridge is one of the few that has stuck with me.

In 1959, Sonny Rollins took a break from music. Although he was one of the finest sax players at the time, he felt pressure from other musicians such as John Coltrane (who emerged from working with Thelonius Monk and a second stint with Miles Davis a reinvented musician) and Ornette Colman who were changing jazz in significant ways.

For three years, Sonny Rollins walked to the Williamsburg Bridge to practice. He was living in a small apartment with neighbors surrounding him so he took to the bridge to rehearse. The traffic noise forced him to develop his breathing strength to be heard and he spent hours there, occasionally working with Jackie McLean. He emerged with a new command of his instrument and formed a new quartet that recorded ‘The Bridge’.

The only thing I miss about being a grad student, was having the time (and not being able to afford any distractions) to focus. One of my favorite times in school was the summer I spent living my myself on ~$450/month. I paid rent, utilities, gas and put $20-40/wk aside for food. The rest went into the bank. I spent all my time at the library or the studio and ramped up my work for nearly three months.

January 22, 2011 | Filed Under music, personal | Comments Off 

2011 Kickoff

After finishing the last music project, I was starting off the year wallowing with a lack of plans. From all the time spent in school, I seem to work better with a plan that involves projects ramping up and down. Without it, it just feels like one endless stream of days and I end up like David Byrne, “My god, how did I get here?”. I need the list of tasks checked off and projects complete to assure myself that I’m not wasting time.

Getting my crap together generally involves one very long text file of all the books I want to read and projects I want to do. These get pared down into reasonable tasks that go into whatever I’m using to track work (so for ‘Things.app’ has held that place for two years, but I’m positive I’ll just go back to a todo.txt).

It was good to have a bit of break over the holidays and spend time with Jen. I feel like I got a nice bit of inertia going with the last music project and I to take advantage of that and work on some projects that I need a lot more motivation to get myself to do.

January 15, 2011 | Filed Under personal | Comments Off 

X-mas Vacation 2010

1. Trip to Indianapolis to hit bookstores and see downtown. Decent hotel right on the circle. We checked out the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library which had some great photos of Vonnegut. We also did a quick drive-by of the Fountain Square district which is probably much better nicer when it’s warm enough to actually walk around.

2. Trip to Louisville to visit the brother. We hit a few bookstores and ate very well as always.

3. Lots of cooking: rib-eye steaks, deep dish pizza, spaghetti sauce, shoulder roast, stroganoff. Lots of heavy, cold-weather comfort foods.

4. Checked out the Chicago Botanical Gardens to test out some camera stuff.

5. Got Jen to sit through Season One of The Wire. It’s easy to forget just how tremendous that show is.

6. Spent too many hours finishing up the last music project and zero hours thinking about work.

January 2, 2011 | Filed Under personal | Comments Off 

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