Category: thoughts
Lex Fridman and right speech
Lex Fridman, whether he knows it or not, understands Buddhist right speech (17 minutes in). This conversation with Richard Haier about the book The Bell Curve is an example of how something can be misinterpreted.
But sometimes, no matter what you do, people can twist your words to fit their agenda. Nietzsche is one such philosopher who had been the victim of misappropriation.
Speech as an action can be used (another action) against you. In other words, truth is not about what is there, but what people think is true, or rather, how people make you think something is true when it is not.
YouTube Premium still gives you ads. You just don’t notice them
When you pay for YouTube Premium you are led to believe you are getting an ad-free experience. But this is further from the truth. Let me explain.
Before I joined Premium I watched videos which were interspersed with ads that popped up in the middle (sometimes several times) and at the end. Usually, they are random and unrelated ads to the video that either require you to skip or wait until they finish. Furthermore, I could not play videos in the background.
My experience with Premium is that more I can play videos in the background, not having to skip the ads, and I can multitask. YouTube is much more enjoyable.
But why is it more employable? That is because of the convenience now offered. But more subtlety, I am getting different content. imagine watching the normal content I watch now without Premium. It would mean I would get not only the in-video ads but also the interlaced ads that normally come up. But that is not what makes ads annoying. It is the need for me to skip ads that is annoying. In other words I am paying for this privilege and convenience.
I still get ads. They are still in the videos pumped to me by the vlogger. They are less annoying and also more relevant to the content. It is basically a version of good ol’ television … except I am paying for it.
Regurgitator is Epic
Regurgitator’s Epic is not only epic, it’s on Fire.
Onomichi
Walking with my mother in Onomichi who moved here recently is surreal. Every group we meet is a young couple. lol.
If you don’t sin…
Remember, if you don’t sin, Jesus died for nothing.
Richard Dawkins
Dawkins said this in a speech in which the audience laughed.
I half suspect that many of the heinous acts by Christians are really done with this warped thought in mind. How can you actually be Forgiven if you don’t Sin?
Watch collecting journey
I’ve got to say, there is something about collecting that is fun. For whatever reason, men like to collect. It must have been a survival mechanism.
Anyway, I have collected many things over the years. Stamps. Comics. Records. CDs. Cameras. Fountain pens. Art.
At present, it is watches.
Some have a rule to have a limit and a one in, one out policy. That seems manageable. Except when you cheat and buy a bigger watch case. I have a four-watch case right now but I think a six or eight watch case might what I need want.
I have a separate case for three watches that are quartz but I think I will sell those. My wife has a two watch collection for now so the three-watch case may be perfect for her. She may catch the watch collecting bug.
Akai MPK Mini Play Mk3
Santa (AKA my wife) brought me an Akai MPK Mini Play Mk3 for Christmas this year.
The Mini Play is a MIDI controller with the functionality of a standalone keyboard. MIDI controllers are usually designed to plug into computers and used to manipulate sounds in DAWs and plugins. On its own MIDI controllers do not have the ability to generate sound.
Because the Mini Play has a bank of sounds as well as a speaker it is like what is usually called an electronic keyboard. The Mini Play as a keyboard is made all the more versatile because of the headphone jack, battery power capability, and the sound bank and speaker mentioned before.
Who is this for?
This is the first time for me to buy a synthesizer, if you may call it that. I will because it has many of the traditional controls found on synthesizers to sculpt the sound.
It has digital instruments, everyday sounds as well as synth sounds. Especially with the synth sounds you can have fun sculpting.
This is very much a keyboard/MIDI controller for someone starting out with electronic keyboards and synthesizers.
Controls
It has controls such as filter, resonance, reverb and chorus, attack, release, EQ for low and high. It also has arpeggiator functions. Notably missing are the decay, sustain, portamento controls.
It also has drum pads and built-in sounds for percussions.
Plug in is simple. An old school printer port goes to a USB which can be plugged directly into a computer or charging port.
First impressions
I have played instruments (piano traditional and electronic, marimba, guitar, cajon) before but this is the first time for trying synthesizers.
My ideal was to have a standalone keyboard to just play and learn but also to integrate with a computer to make music. I had considered electronic keyboards with fixed sounds and synthesizers. But I was quite sick of normal sounds and had an urge to recreate sounds from my favorite songs from the 80s, predominantly New Wave, New Romantic genres. Proper synthesizers were intimidating and expensive. This was a compromise of function, cost effectiveness and versatility.
As a standalone it works great. Best with monitor headphones and plugged in to a power source. the sculpting is limited but enough for me to learn how synthesizers work. The drum pads are great. Again, having that extra function makes it fun. Using the arpeggiator with both keyboard and drum pads means I can easily whip up a beat and play some accompaniment.
The easy hook up to a DAW (MPC Beats included in price) was surprising. However, learning to use the DAW is a steep learning curve. But it is probably simple basic enough for a beginner like me.
Conclusion
This keyboard/MIDI controller was exactly what I was looking for, something to recreate the sounds and music I like and listen to. It is extremely affordable at under USD200. It is can be used anywhere to think of ideas because of the built-in sounds and speaker. But also I can connect it to a computer and a DAW (included) to record music.
It is easy to use. Mini Play does not have more than two layers of menus to navigate. The layout is easy to understand with everything labeled clearly. A quick read of the short instruction manual was all that was necessary to get started with every function.
Again, who is this for?
If you are a beginner to music creation and have that itch to scratch, and your itch has to do with pianos and keyboards then this is a good buy. Not the best build quality but it is as good as a sub-USD200 can get. Being able to play music without a computer is a bonus since MIDI controllers generally do not have this functionality. This is two devices in one machine. It is a MIDI controller and it is an electronic keyboard. It is a basic synthesizer for those who want to learn about synthesizers.
Buy it and have fun.
The kidnapping of postmodernism
People complain about postmodernism, saying it gave us all the troubles we have today. I don’t believe so. These terrible water with us from the beginning. Or, at least, from the start of modernism.
After the death of Derrida postmodernism lost its voice. It was open to criticism. It was bullied into trauma. The anxiety of postmodernism is what we have. Given that it allowed itself to be open to criticism, it was betrayed. Like a cheating modernist husband it hide the fact of its duplicity from its trusting postmodernist wife. She is in shock. She is trying to recover from it. She will expose them once again for what they are — deceivers.
She has escaped from her kidnappers. She will tell her story.
I was wrong about digital music
Up to now I have complained about digital music. I complained that it didn’t sound as good as compact discs or records. But this is only true under certain conditions.
When I try to play digital music through an old school system (either through MDF speakers or wired headphones) the sound is average to say the least.
I bought a pair of apple 2nd Generation AirPods Pro recently and playing the same music through either the AirPods instead made the same piece of music sounds much better and natural. In fact it made music enjoyable again, reproducing the nuanced sounds more naturally.
In short, digital music from my phone is supposed to be played through something like AirPods which are designed for digital music. Old school speakers and systems are made for analog music. CDs are also designed to be played through such systems for which they were adapted.
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