Support a Music Revolution - Ardour.org

More importantly, keep someone doing good in the world out of the kindness of his own heart from having to quit his altruism altogether.

Ardour is an Open Source digital audio workstation. Think ProTools, FL-Studio (formerly known as FruityLoops), ACID Pro and other home to professional studio production tools. Now think FREE as in beer and speech. The tools above range in price from $200-$2000 per license. Ardour is an industrial strength tool, that's free AND runs on a similarly free operating system - Linux (something those other clowns DON'T do).

As Ardour's creator put it, when you buy a car, the hood isn't welded shut. Likewise with Ardour, except you don't have to pay anything for it. You download it, you install it, you own it, and it's TRULY yours. Tinker with it, install it anywhere you want as many times as you want, upgrade it for free, copy and share it with all your friends. ALL of them! Let's see Microsoft offer you all that!!

Huh? What's that? You don't make music and you don't use Linux, so what does this mean to you? Think of a kid with an old used hand-me-down computer running a free operating system (Linux) who uses a beat-up hand-me-down guitar and this free audio production software to make beautiful music that will finally blow all the nauseating crap you hate off of the airwaves once and for all.

It's a dream, I know, but that can't happen if the developers can't afford to support it, upgrade it, and keep it solid and competitive. Doing that is a fulltime job that Ardour's creator and contributing developers do for free. All they ask is a dollar and a dream...a dream of better software, a dream of better music.

In Pencil

We write our lives in pencil.
Press firmly with our good deeds.
Press gently with mistakes.
Let the errs be soon forgotten,
That the good shall take their place.
And there they'll be remembered
'Til the paper fades away.

~AFN. 3/21/2009

Problematic Post-ing

The New York Post's recent editorial cartoon associating the shooting of a chimpanzee with the authorship of the economic stimulus bill is problematic on several levels.

Since the dawn of the Atlantic slave trade, Black people have been categorized through “science”, religion, and social morés as being sub-human: something more akin to apes, than Homo sapiens. It was this classification among others that was used as justification of chattel slavery that brought Africans to the Americas and other parts of the world. As supposed non-humans, we were not to bear any rights justified for humans let alone the landed gentry of a “free society”. It was thereby taken for granted that we were subject to capture, enslavement, and subsequent trade; and that we were to be used as a disposable commodities, abused, killed, or discarded at the society's whim.

Undermining this fallacy and blank hypocrisy was chief in the grueling transformation of social consciousness undertaken by the abolitionist movement. Challenging this archetype ultimately led to the passage of the Slave Trade Act which ended the United Kingdom's slave trade and lead to the much later abolition of slavery in the United States.

Sadly it did not end there, as shown through a continuing century-plus of Jim Crow laws and other racial subjugation in the form of segregation and social stigma. The Post's tone-deaf editorial cartoon and it's subsequent luke-warm apology demonstrate how this pernicious association continues to play out even to this day.

Granted, the cartoon in part lampoons the recent police shooting of a pet chimpanzee in Connecticut. However as the dialog balloon tags the violent act of the shooting (implicitly justified) with the writing and passage of the stimulus bill (implicitly unjustified) it takes on a sinister tone if not one of outright incitement. The message is simple. Resolve political disagreement through violence. Coupled with the racial overtones and the fact that we have unprecedented numbers of Black Americans holding high office and appointments (including President Obama and members of his cabinet) the message goes beyond sinister to a vicious call for the deletion of 400-plus years of social progress.

I would expect any newspaper, even The Post to hold itself to a higher standard. The press was nicknamed the fourth estate for its role as steward and guardian of democratic ideals. The Post's negligent eye, and self-serving extenuation demonstrate its opposition to those ideals where its interests are involved. I can only hope that with the era ushered in through President Obama's election, we will also see the demise of this irresponsible brand of journalism and the institutions that support it.

How to take a hike

"Taking a hike is the best (and first) thing I've done so far this year!!!"

How I did it: The key to taking a hike is preparedness.  Know your destination.  Dress appropriately and bring along some gear that may be helpful or at least fun.

I looked up several potential destinations in my local area.  I found several helpful sites, local and national that pointed me in the right direction, which I'll list below.  The beauty of looking up potential destinations is that it also gets you really excited about finally going.  No I can't wait to go again and have plenty of options for when I do!

Being that it's still winter in New England, I took a look at a few sites discussing winter hiking and being prepared for them.  My three biggest take aways from those were:

• dress warmly
• stay hydrated
• don't get lost

Wasn't sure I was actually going to go until yesterday evening.  So I decided on an easy one: The Cliff Walk in Newport, RI.  I guess folks would consider it a walk more than a hike, but navigating ice sheets covering the path, scrambling down boulders to take a shot closer to the water's edge, and a section of the path that's more boulder hopscotch than "path" a winter's hike maketh.  Suffice it to say: check!

The beauty of the Cliff Walk is that this activity is a two-fer.  I went on a hike AND took pictures at the beach during the winter.  Check and check!  Well I'll actually now have to go take pictures at the beach in spring summer and fall to truly call the second one a check, but you get the idea.

Anyway, as I said before, the whole adventure has gotten me primed to go on several more hiking adventures over the course of the year as I'd hoped it would.  Great goal, and cheers to anyone also planning to do it!

Lessons & tips: Here's what I wore for my winter hike:

• hot chillies long johns (just the pants)
• t-shirt
• turtleneck
• cotton sweater (overkill once I got going but helpful later in the day)
• microfleece zip-top sweater
• "army" cargo pants - (great for holding my digital camera, extra film and usuals: keys, wallet, phone)
• Kinco WarmGrip work gloves - better for taking pictures w/o having to take gloves off
• microfleece hood - never needed to pull up the hood, but it doubled as a scarf and stayed out of the way better than a regular scarf
• basic comfy hiking boots - mine are a pair of 5-year old Rockport XCS's

Here's what I carried for my winter's hike (note this was a photo-excursion as well):

• 1 full 700mL Nalgene bottle - with water...this time ;-)
• Hot Fingers Skiing and Snowboarding gloves - just in case.  They're bulky and I never needed them so they stayed in the backpack.
• 1 35mm SLR camera
• 1 extra roll 24 exp 200 asa film - I'm from the old school...
• 1 digital camera - ...but I'm all about learning new things!
• • also note: phone doubles as handy camera/camcorder.  see posted photo
• Road map - in car for getting down to Newport (just in case)
• Google Map directions to Cliff Walk starting point - I luv Google Maps for the phone (http://www.google.com/mobile/default/maps.html) as long as you only check directions at stoplights!
• Extra change: for emergency calls and tolls ($4.00 round trip to Newport)
• Back pack - gotta carry that stuff around somehow

What I wish I brought:

• SD card for my digital camera
• Extra batteries for my digital camera
• Trail map/guide - would have been nice to see the full extent of the trail before hand and know a little bit more about the sights along the path.  I felt like an idiot having to ask about the Vanderbilt mansion (The Breakers) which is one of Newport's biggest attractions!

What I wish I'd done before I set off:

• Remembered the items listed in the preceding section
• Double-checked the film in my SLR - wasn't loaded properly on the first half of the walk, so wasted roll and opportunities.  But first time I've used it in years so it was nice enough to have it around my neck, let alone actually try to take some real pictures with it.
• Packed extra socks - may sound stupid, but if for any reason your socks get messed up on a hike (wet, hole, porcupines), you gotta keep your feet happy.

I texted friends last minute the night before to see if anyone else wanted to come along, but all in all, I'm glad I did this one on my own.  I got to spend 3 solid hours out there, just me and the waves and the winter sky.  It was a beautiful day.  I'll definitely enjoy the company on future hikes, but all in all, glad that today was all mine.

Resources: Sites about Hiking and Trails in RI:

• http://www.trails.com/stateactivity.aspx?area=10074
• http://www.riparks.com/Activities%20Page.htm#Hiking
• http://www.visitrhodeisland.com/what-to-do/hiking/
• http://activities.wildernet.com/pages/summary.cfm?areaid=RI&rectype=Hiking%20%26%20Walking&startrecord=1&CU_ID=1
• http://www.visitrhodeisland.com/what-to-do/nature-trails/hiking-nature-trail/

Sites About Hiking in Wintertime:

• http://www.backpacking.net/winterhiking.html
• http://home.comcast.net/~garyt1/winter.html
• http://sports.meetup.com/26/pages/Winter_Hiking_Gear_and_Clothing/
• http://www.backpacker.com/february_1999_destinations_winter_hiking_for_beginners/destinations/718?page=1

It took me 1 day.

It made me invigorated

See more progress on: take a hike

There's more to the HeliOS story

After a teacher put a kid in detention and confiscated the Linux CD's he was handing out when that kid was demonstrating a Linux computer donated by the HeliOS project, then contacted HeliOS claiming that handing out software free-of-charge was probably illegal, public outcry at Slashdot and Digg followed. Of course, there's more to this story...I was impressed with this story because it exemplified the term "learning moment". And it resulted in the type of real learning, both technical and social, that work with Open Source uniquely brings.

read more | digg story

Election Day - III

A New Hope...
11/5/2008

Yes we can...yes we did...and yes, we have only just begun!!! This is a day that I did not think I would see in my lifetime. And I gladly eat those words and sentiments whole. With approx 65% of the voting population represented we have not simply made but mandated the choice of Barack Obama as our president-elect. Know that this is a victory for America by Americans from all walks of life, truly representing the America that is and that we hope her to be.

I can say for my part I will hold my head higher tomorrow knowing that my country and my home has chosen to reaffirm the democratic ideals which we hold sacred, and demonstrated the commitment to uphold them, to renew them, and to make them even better than they were when handed down to us. God truly continues to bless us all.

Election Day - II

I Came...I Saw...I Voted
11/4/2008

Well, got my Dunkies and got to the polling place right at 6:55a. A little line had formed outside the Veterans Club as we waited for the doors to open. The group there was somewhat mixed. Some seemed to know each other or were simply politely chatting. I kinda stuck out. Only guy above 6 feet, among other things ;-) But among those not chatting there seemed to be a quiet tension. A sense of purpose that they seemed to want to talk about but feared brining to light. That's certainly how I felt.

The polling station opened a little late, so unfortunately no "in and out in 2 minutes" like the old timer in front of me reminisced about when the clock struck 5 after. I was about 20th in line, but quickly became 7th in line when it split between A-L and M-Z. Lucky break!

The lady checking names took about 3 minutes to find mine. Par for the course when you're also a tall (formerly) skinny guy with a funny name. I handed her my registration card to make it a little easier. It wasn't. Oh well.

Something on the ballot reminded me of a poster I saw on designforobama.org that read, "Don't trust Zapf Dingbats". The thing about it was the logo, the same five pointed star I've seen on the McCain posters and commercials (since he picked Palin anyway) was there on the ballot next to "Democrats" in the Straight Ticket section at the top of the page. The logo next to the "Republicans" selection was the miniaturized eagle and shield combo with lightening bolts and flamethrowers, etc. Don't trust Zapf Dingbats indeed! Wonder whose idea that was? Imagery's a powerful thing. I wondered how many older voters that may throw off on both sides of the ticket. Just to be on the safe side, I went to the Presidential Election section and filled in my line for Obama and Biden. Not a moment I'll soon forget (sorry to rub it in Agz) .

I would however like to forget that I nearly jammed up the voting machine by letting the corner of my folder get sucked in a bit when I fed my ballot sheet through. A more than gentle tug got it free. Shoulda put down the damn coffee. Such an addict.

The highlight was when the woman walking out next to me said: "Make history. Check that off the to do list." I gave her a hale and hardy amen, then scooted off to work, blasting People of the Sun the whole way — a not-so guilty indulgence.

Go vote!!! And watch the dingbats.

Election Day - I

Election Day
11/4/2008

I forgot that I forgot to set my alarm back an hour. So when I set my alarm last night and saw it set to 8am, wondering why the hell I'd set it so late, it didn't occur to me that resetting it for “6:45”, I'd actually be up at 5:45 am.

I said my prayers, for Barack, for his family, for the country and for us all. I thought of my grandma. Told her picture about what's going on today. I wished that she and all my grandparents could be here to share this historic day.

I'm not sure what the polls will be like. It's 6:30 now. Thinking I might be on the early side for my polling station. But going to go ahead now and make a move to the polling station. With a quick Dunkie's stop first.

Obama On Grandmother And Campaign: "Bittersweet"

I don't often cry these days, but today I cried. To see a man fighting through his own tears to share his grandmother's story and to inspire us to fight on her behalf and the quiet heroes like her, I cried.God bless you and your family, Senator Obama. We are with you.

read more | digg story

Steven Petrow: Joe Biden's Tears Remembered

Character isn't just a word or a resume checklist. It's the sum of an individual's lifetime that occasionally condenses to a single moment. This would be one of those moments. Please read the full post.

read more | digg story

Health Care Destruction

So...McCain wants to do for our health insurance what deregulation did for banking. Hmmm. Good to know.

read more | digg story

Fund-a-mental Case

As Fiore's cartoon shows, McCain may believe in the fundamentals, but he's certainly not trained in them. He says so himself! Maybe his hockey-mom will have some pointers for him. After all, didn't she win a merit badge in fundamentalism?

read more | digg story

Now You SEC Me, Now You Don't

Naked Short Selling exposed!!! This is the 2nd most important broadcast you'll listen to all year. It may not make you feel sexy but it'll sure leave you feeling naked. The most important broadcast to listen to this year is right here:http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1242

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From Whence Came the Chickens Roosting on our Banking System

This American Life's episode "The Giant Pool of Money" which could also be entitled "The Anatomy of a Lending Crisis". Hear how a loosely regulated financial industry has managed to bring the worlds markets to their knees using the voices of all involved: home buyers, storefront lenders, and Wall Street titans now struggling to survive.

read more | digg story

RNC Self-Flagellation

...or should I say, self-flatulation?

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9 Lessons Learned about Creativity at Google - STVP EdCorner

Marissa Mayer, Vice President of Search Products and User Experience at Google, shares nine lessons learned about fostering creative ideas and innovation based on her experience developing highly successful Web applications at Google. - From the Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Lecture Series at Stanford University. The series is one of my favorite podcasts. And this one is probably my favorite episode thus far.

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More Than a Sound Bite, This Clip Has Some Teeth

A Barack Obama supporter quizzed on the street has drawn a million views on YouTube.

AFroNaut's Note: Derrick is a friend of mine I've known since school. For the bit that was intimated of an insider "controversy" the accompanying article, I'll let you know, he's an intelligent and seriously talented man who damn sure is nobody's stooge. That video was Derrick being Derrick, pure and simple.

Go get 'em, bro!! Thanks for doin' us proud!!! :-)

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Transcript: Barack Obama's Speech on Race

Indeed, the pen IS mightier than the sword. And may one day overcome centuries of our collected hurt. Read, and then listen to Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's speech in Philadelphia on Tuesday on the role that race has played in the Democratic presidential campaign. Here, a transcript of the speech, titled "A More Perfect Union."

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Quick Food Review - Ka-Me Honey Soy Ginger Noodle

I was in the ethnic aisle at Shaw's grocery store the other day and saw a bunch of boxed microwavable Asian cuisine dishes. I thought I'd grab a few and try them out for lunch at work. Hey, it beats Ramen Noodles. Though, there is actually a comforting styrofoamy reliability with Ramen Noodles that you leave venturing into the wild uncharted corners of prepackaged microwaveable lunch.

My first test subject is Ka-Me Honey Soy Ginger Noodles. On the good side, it has a nice neat package, a la takeout restaurant carton. It was very easy to prepare: empty the noodle and sauce/veg packet into the carton and heat.

On the down side, the cooked noodles are packed together in a brick in their little baggie. The sauce reeks when it's fresh out of it's own foil/plastic baggie. Almost like it's hermetically sealed to keep the elements safe from it, and not the other way around. It seemed like there'd be more vegetables and other edible knick-knacks in the sauce mix, but nothin doin. I also thought there'd be tofu. No such luck. I guess the only soy is in the sauce itself. So for the 220 lbs that is me, it really wasn't filling enough to call it lunch. Afternoon snack perhaps, but not lunch.

It did actually taste pretty good after all. The sauce turned out to smell and taste much nicer warmed up than it did cold out of its silver space suit packaging. And for precooked noodles, they actually weren't disgusting. Because it fell short on contents, I'm giving it a C.

Jon Udell's Interview with Gardner Campbell

Discusses Campbell's concept of digital imagination and how the Internet impacts the creation and sustaining of a learning community beyond the boundaries of the classroom and institutional walls.

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