Weekly Update, March 1, 2021

Greetz internet friend and welcome back to my blog! You may have noticed that last week was a placeholder weekly update and I didn’t actually post more. I was super busy with an engagement, but I posted on Monday so I’m going to count it! Without any further adieu, let’s check out this weekly update.

Personal

Last weekend I managed to finish five singles and three of them are set for release. First (coming a week from tomorrow) is Dogwater, and if you want to pre-follow (so you get a notification when it drops) you can follow this link here for Soundcloud and it’ll automatically set you up to listen when it drops.

I also didn’t make any TikTok videos for the last few days because I’ve been feeling burned out on that platform. It is still really fun to scroll, but making videos every day is tiring. Plus you are really supposed to be doing three a day, but with captions and a full-time job I don’t know how anyone can really be expected to do that. I made a video about it and posted it, we’ll see if it does any numbers.

Anyway, like I mentioned most of my weekend was spent writing music and my fingertips are really sore from all the guitar I played. I don’t want to write too much more about it, but I will just close by sharing that it felt great to be playing and writing music again. Jamming (even if it is with myself on drums and the other instruments) alone is still better than not jamming at all. Plus, since I was the one who played the other instruments, I know (or can feel) roughly when things are going to change up a little bit, and in a strange way it’s been like being in a band with myself.

It’s hard to explain but if any of you are reading this and musicians who have been in a band, I can tell you that recording yourself playing drums and then building songs around it feels a bit like a slower version of being in a band. When you are in a band, you do all these things at once – the drummer lays down a beat, and once the guitar and bass decide what key it is in, everyone has a pretty good idea of what will sound good. As you play more and more with those people, you start to anticipate when they are going to do things.

When it is just you, by yourself, you still get to the point where you start to anticipate the changes, but it happens at a fraction of the speed of being in a band. Because rather than having everyone play at the same time, first you play the drums. Then you lay down a bass line, then you have to figure out some guitar stuff. At least, that’s how it’s been going for me.

Which is another way of saying that’s just what I noticed. If you are a one person band, I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject as well!

Professional

Finished up the first part of an engagement and submitted my report. Once I finish the edits it’s the second part of the project. I know that’s not very exciting, but for confidentiality reasons I cannot really share much more than that.

Black Lives Matter

Once again this week, I do not have tons to say on this subject. It is just important to keep repeating that Black Lives Matter and to continue using my (albeit small) platform to remind people and suggest that they look for BIPOC individuals to follow. Just because Black History Month is over, that does not mean that we should be complacent. It’s important for white accomplices to continue lifting up others – not just one month a year, but all twelve.

Politix

Wow, so much to rant about, but I will just write two things. First, Joe Biden is obviously not to be trusted. He’s gone back on two major campaign promises and proven that he is too old to be an effective fight. NO GREAT SHOCK THERE!

Bombing Syria is something that made many people (myself included) very upset. We don’t want more wars, we want the ones we are in to be over! My mother in law was convinced that Joe Biden was a socialist and/or a communist. I WISH HE WAS! He wasn’t even close to the best or most progressive person, and myself and others voted for him despite knowing he wasn’t the best. We bit our tongues until they bled, and instead of running us our stimmy money, Joe is bombing Syria.

We aren’t going to stop pushing him, and the alternative of another four years of Ronald Drumf would have probably destroyed this country. He LITERALLY staged a coup and the conservatives at CPAC gave him a platform.

I cannot deal with the right wing. They have no moral or ethical standing or ground and at this point, I don’t understand why we listen to them anymore. Both morally and ethically bankrupt, they have destroyed our country and yet we still allow them a seat at the table? They clearly hate everyone that isn’t them and since they aren’t participating in our civil society, it feels like we should stop treating them as though they are good faith actors when they are clearly not. They tried to overthrow the government because they lost an election, and congress is so feckless they won’t kick them out. HR 25 would throw out everyone who supported the insurrection, but the House has no leadership, so the bill will sit and gather dust. Pathetic.

People to follow (on Twitter)

Bernice King - The daughter of Dr. King

Martin Luther King III - The son of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

@cetolyne - great friend, awesome programmer, super helpful!

@blenster - cool maker, very positive, well worth a follow!

Marley - first place champ! Marley is one of the best on Twitter!

Null Coder - another awesome person to keep an eye on!

@EvilMog - creator of the DC MUD and an interesting person to follow.

TrakoZG – an internet friend who tweets excellent things

Sofia Rune – brilliant scholar who shares things that are both insightful and valuable

MildThrone – up and comer with a small following for now, but I think this account is on the rise!

Johnny B. Ill – Brilliant musician with wisdom to share for those smart enough to listen

Tiffany Collins - This is my wife, who is making cool art and is well worth a follow!

One last thing – for the music and art lovers

If you want to find what I am doing on other platforms, this is my TikTok here is my YouTube channel and here is the music project Twitter. Finally, if you want to listen to the full songs that I’ve recorded, you can check out my Spotify or search most music platforms for, “Dude and the missing rugs.”

My wife is making incredible art, and this is her website here is her TikTok she is also on Instagram and Twitter and you can buy her art on Etsy – she has some very affordable prints as well as even more affordable and cool stickers! Finally, if you like her art you can support her on Patreon as well!

That’s it for this week, internet friend! Thanks for reading this far! I hope you have a very nice day and a most excellent week.

Cheers!

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