“Hurry” is behind. I went into a software upgrade sequence of minor hell. It started with wanting a new plug-in that I’d been hearing was great for vocals. I buy and install that, only to find that my Mac OS didn’t support it. Did some checking to make sure an OS upgrade would be compatible with my Pro Tools. Supposedly yes, in actual fact, no. So then there was that upgrade. These take a long time to install. Multi-gigabytes of computer smartness code in ones and zeros downloading through the… ether? Hell I don’t know. I mean, I know more than your average 64-year-old maybe.
After all that, my interface software stops working and the plug-ins I bought are nowhere to be found.
Such is life in techworld. I was at my computer about 12 hours and paid the price with a shooting pain the next day from neck to shoulder blade. Then got to fly to NYC with the neck pain, and of course, flying is just great for stiff painful shit going on in your body.
Anyway ==> Onwards. I’m back from my work and will get the computer and recording stuff sorted, but didn’t want to make my subscribers wait for a new dispatch, even though I promised a “Hurry” update.
I held a baby this week. A 3-week-old baby. I wanted to meet my friend’s first, a boy, and walked 30 blocks uptown in the rain, because that’s the wonderful thing about New York City, when it rains, nothing really changes, it’s just wet. It seems as though one would feel strong and capable holding such a tiny baby, but instead a sort of dual embodiment of vulnerability takes place. The infant is utterly helpless, but having undertaken the choice to take him into in my arms, I’m pretty defenseless too; incapable of controlling or predicting how our little partnership will unfurl. Will he let me be his sole source of safety or will he freak out?
I’d forgotten how it is, looking into the eyes of a baby; how they are so opaquely, intently focused, seeing nothing and seeing everything. I suppose it’s soul without ego, or maybe as Freud would say, just looking right into the id.
The baby fell asleep while I paced and talked to him and sang him a little made up song, and it was a very satisfying segment of time in that day, unexpected and pleasant. Then I walked 30 blocks back in the rain. How I wish I could walk that much where I live.
Spending time with my own (former) baby Audrey in the city made the Comic Con weekend a much needed respite from home, where I still try to fill my empty nest with relentless activity. Often the days go by in a blur, and I don’t stop until I can’t keep my eyes open.
It’s absolutely necessary to acknowledge this: another school shooting happened. There are many cut and paste arguments about “rights”… Here is a 2012 article that refutes sensibly and swiftly every argument.
And here is a morbidly info-laden site, kept up to date within the past 72 hours, completely non-partisan, no agenda, just facts, stats, numbers. It’s called the Gun Violence Archive.
And here is an article about the 175 people who have died in school shootings alone. Since Columbine.
All I would ask, no matter what you believe, is to look at these stories when you have a few moments and reflect on this aspect of life in America.
Since starting this, things got sorted on the computer and I’m ready to do some recording this weekend. There was a spontaneous writing session Weds with Zach Person, a local guitarist and singer. It was good, we talked for 4 hours before even starting to write and then, presto, another new song. We’re working together for a charity that will use our collaboration in a fundraising event in May, but I think we might continue on more stuff. More on the song & the charity before too long.
And going to leave you all with a loosening up writing exercise I learned about. It takes you out of your normal approach and kind of rattles the Muse’s cage for a little fun. The idea is to use as few words as possible, like 50 or so—means I had to use the same words as much as I could. The whole story should be 200 words. And you have to do it fast, like less than 5 minutes. I think I saw it in George Saunder’s substack or book “A Swim in a Pond in the Rain.” Anyway, I’ve done it a few times, but this was my fave result.
nyc has a magic all its own. baby time is magical too, hope the neck pain didn't last. america is built upon so much tragedy, it is incomprehensible that some politicians have voted in final control of certain law-making to lobbyists... regardless of how many children are murdered at our schools. take all their guns away? god damn right.. one day maybe.
Being an IT person, I can certainly relate to getting caught in upgrade hell. I know Macs are the go to for most creative endeavors bit TBH I can't stand the things which is ironic as I'm totally an IPhone guy... Nothing better than holding a little one and seeing eyes full of wonder whenever the daily grind has taken it's toll..