tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71161368556654605912024-03-13T21:28:52.426-07:00StarfallOgspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.comBlogger821125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-34606785964718203422024-01-10T01:23:00.000-08:002024-01-10T01:35:07.112-08:00New Year, New Me, [Not Really]<p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-eIow9Ct2gKtkGtBKDLA-I9CqFeBACpR74drsG2d8nOUJ_dAuwbRe6OggoqIizic7L9VuV7pV0rY9n-jI7VWLNkloFAfLE69U_Nn1GfGl02cR8v0AyF1PRRvKfJs2-UJN_OCz-CmC6phMZ2kljJuesB_crr2h-viPD9_eYFdIcp6Wcj6d3egqX5r4uVuL" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-eIow9Ct2gKtkGtBKDLA-I9CqFeBACpR74drsG2d8nOUJ_dAuwbRe6OggoqIizic7L9VuV7pV0rY9n-jI7VWLNkloFAfLE69U_Nn1GfGl02cR8v0AyF1PRRvKfJs2-UJN_OCz-CmC6phMZ2kljJuesB_crr2h-viPD9_eYFdIcp6Wcj6d3egqX5r4uVuL" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><b>Hello Universe</b></i>, </span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">How is it going out there in the <i>free world</i>? <i><b>It's a new year, happy 2024!</b></i> It's time for all those happy go lucky social media posts where people make their new years resolutions, like to get a better body and become more healthy and sexy and find their dream spouse, and get a lotta money, amiright? I'd like to jot down some thoughts on what's been happening with me, my personal activities, working in retail, and more. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">First, I moved into a new house recently. It was a hard move that was strenuous but now that it's done I can finally relax. At the end of the month I took time off from work just to get settled into the new place and unbox everything. The new house is in a better location to get around on foot or on the bus if needed. I've been waking up earlier, going out to lunches at nearby establishments, going to the library, and more. I'm still working at the grocery store and it's going well. Since the holidays are over, things have slowed down there, for now. Covid still lingers there from time to time, so I've still been wearing my facemask. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I kept up playing piano and drums. Now, I'm finally making good progress on piano, at least trying to move from beginner to something like intermediate, although it will take a while. My dad decided to keep our late step-mom Maureen's Yamaha grand piano, so I've been playing that piano. Today, I recorded an eight minute grand piano solo, [which you can hear <a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/JFjyaJngtP?fbclid=IwAR1yj1tNkRoCb2iuPdLaZdZo0rWAYHbYLrS5HxNiKXUvkyjBIg2AxeNpf4o">piano solo no. 1</a>] With the piano, I'm trying to focus on playing jazz chords and improvising. I practice everyday, and actually have preferred practicing piano as of late, because my guitars and amp are all backed away and it's easier to just play the grand piano for now. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Likewise, I've been keeping up with drums. I go to guitar center and just play the drums there. You can hear my most recent drum playing <a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/pJY0G_N-mp?fbclid=IwAR2XMVUN2K0rMemqa_WZTAt0clXgqfDd9rmz8yIq-9ULFGCmCfZCkCVVEZ0">here.</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Second, I'm still reading a lot and doing a lot of AI art. You can check out my Instagram page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jazzerrocker779/">here.</a> The picture featured at the top of this page is an AI art creation. At the end of last year I read a lot of science fiction novels by Iain M. Banks, who died early in his 50s. Terrific writer, but he writes terribly long science fiction space opera, albeit it's amazing writing and great space opera, but the some seven books I read of his were definitely time consuming and not easy reads. Space opera for the literati. Right now all my books are packed away so I just bought for a dollar, a paperbacks editions of Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky and Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. I'm keeping up with the western canon, now I've read about 300 works. But I feel like I've barely scraped the surface in terms of what can be learned within knowledge, within the realm of imagination, and the curiosity of man himself. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">At the end of last year, I kind of went into deep hibernation bear mode. The bear knows when to sleep but the bobcat knows when its time to hunt. I find getting up earlier and going out more has been better for me, being productive keeps me energetic, and I'm liking the atmosphere of the new house better and more easily able to adapt to this. Sometimes on Mondays I go to this open blues jam at the bar, and I sit in and play guitar. I go out to dinners with family on my days off work. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Lastly, I've found that life is made up of thoughts, actions, and plans for the future. There's a lot to do. Work is still time consuming, but with a schedule for the day, the week, the month, the next three months, the next six months, the next year, things are much more manageable within a smaller timeline and with hard goals split and separated into smaller and more manageable goals.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I want to get better at piano and be able to play jazz standards on it, keep reading, write more short stories and perhaps a novel [I actually have written a novel, but nobody's seen it], keep blogging about everything, and keep up with my guitar and drums too. Work has been good, the hard work keeps me awake. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">That's it for now, see you later, space cats. </span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">In sylvan realms where twilight's whispers creep,
The bear, a sagacious entity, seeks a somber keep.
As autumnal regalia, the leaves cascade,
He intuits the impending winter's serenade.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">With fur of resplendent aureate hue,
He embarks on a quest for a snug haven's view.
A sanctuary, where crystalline brooks freeze,
In dreams of honeyed combs and berries with ease.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">Yet by the babbling stream, where moonbeams wink,
The bobcat prowls, a phantom feline in sync.
His eyes, aglint with nocturnal savoir-faire,
In stealth, he traverses the tapestry of air.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">For as the bear in dormant repose lies,
The bobcat, vigilant, neath the celestial ties,
Stalks in the silent hours of night's embrace,
A sovereign of shadows, embodying grace.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">In nature's ballet, a harmonious ballet,
The bear succumbs to rest, the bobcat to ballet.
One cradles dreams of vernal rebirth,
The other, a custodian, prowls the moonlit earth. [AI generated] </span></p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-41047771637375637372023-07-14T02:51:00.000-07:002023-07-14T02:51:01.004-07:00Verano de Trabajo<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZ1pnCdd-UsaDNiqflAwvwlr4nGKZjj1nl1h_4YP8ymMHdMIHl07QkldyWhpXEjrR_haILxo_LsgGiWQ7b4f-AMfKzNs5vyuRtPhYXGMxHSk1I6Ex4kAiVYd2nxVD_HcrEKuDUGsuiIq8Z69EyGSDehsVkg-jlPdwgX36BW7V67X9Y-xbAB8nwduKTWTOc" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZ1pnCdd-UsaDNiqflAwvwlr4nGKZjj1nl1h_4YP8ymMHdMIHl07QkldyWhpXEjrR_haILxo_LsgGiWQ7b4f-AMfKzNs5vyuRtPhYXGMxHSk1I6Ex4kAiVYd2nxVD_HcrEKuDUGsuiIq8Z69EyGSDehsVkg-jlPdwgX36BW7V67X9Y-xbAB8nwduKTWTOc=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Good evening ladies and gentlemen, </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's been a while since I've last posted. I've been on hiatus primarily because I've been very focused at work, working full-time, 40+ hour weeks. The work has been fast-paced and intense, yet rewarding when the check comes through. My pay went up a dollar recently due to union benefits from last summer when the company was going to strike, but ended up getting a deal where we workers get a dollar a year for three years. Not too shabby. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Where have I been? Well, I've been working a lot. I work the second shift, 330pm-12am, five days a week, sometimes six or seven days a week during the holidays as needed. As a result I've been very tired. I try every day to maximize my sleep in order to keep up my energy in this fast-paced work environment. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The job hasn't gotten any easier. In fact, sometimes it feels like the job got harder. I'm a cashier most of the time at the market, the same gig I've been writing about for years here on this said blog, but usually I'm running a self-checkout area by myself, running seven registers and helping everybody as needed, as well as watching to make sure that everybody pays, doesn't steal anything, and scans all their stuff. It sounds like an easy job on paper but it's demanding and the boss and managers demand a lot of you. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">That's not to say I can't do it, because I've been promoted at the job since last year, but sometimes it gets trying, as opposed to tiring. It's a given that you're going to get tired working retail but sometimes you don't expect that people will become belligerent and steal an expensive bill's worth of groceries when you're helping somebody else. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">About a month or so ago, I was helping two black guys, and their card didn't go through for a $70 bottle of liquor. When I told them their card didn't go through, they grabbed the bottle out of my hands and just walked out of the store. I yelled at the security guard to stop them, called them thieves, but the guard just didn't do anything. It was the first time I'd ever been robbed point-blank at my job. Usually thieves just try to run out unnoticed and skip out on the bill on the payment screen on the self-checkout terminals, they don't usually have the audacity to grab things out of my hands and just walk out. That was quite an experience. Keep in mind that my store is in a very nice area and its a multi-million dollar store. There's a first time for everything, as they say. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">That being said, my job is still pretty easy. The best part is that we have a high-powered industrial air conditioner that keeps the place very cold. Perfect for this 90-100 degree heatwave we're having right now. I think I've been very tired physically but writing about it here makes me feel a lot better, LOL.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Does labor have a good footing currently in America? Sag-Aftra has just gone on strike with the workers, that's over 160,000 employees. I don't think labor is in a good spot in America right now and despite what the economists say about how good the jobs numbers are and how good Americans are really doing despite what they think, I think it's a load of crap. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">First of all, I don't believe that the jobs the majority of people have right now are good jobs. I think a few people with college degrees, degrees in certain fields, have good jobs, and what's left for the vast majority of people are what they call gig economy jobs. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">My friend who's in the best spot is simply a sales manager at the same grocery store company that I work for, he makes about two dollars more than me. Another friend I have drives lyft and uber almost every night to make rent. Another friend I have does uber eats eight hours a day. Another friend I have parks cars at restaurants and such. Another friend is a dishwasher at a restaurant. Another friend that didn't make it at my job now works at McDonalds. These aren't exactly what I call good jobs or people in a very good situation, if anything, it represents a dark turning point in labor, where life has become more difficult in terms of making money, paying rent, and living that happier, purpose driven life. Keep in mind even though my friend is making two dollars more than me, he still wants more out of life, and isn't happy with the gig. I would say the world we live in is becoming ever more and more a gig economy working world, which is not good.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Now, for the good! Despite working nonstop, I've been able to read a lot of books. Lately, I've been really into Will and Ariel Durant's Story of Civilization series, a history book collection about the history of civilization starting with the Greeks and ending in the Age of Napoleon. I've also been able to read a lot of science fiction novels including the two novels by Arkady Martine, A Memory Called Empire and the sequel. As well I found R.F. Chuang's Babel to be an amazing fantasy story that involves the deconstruction of colonialism. Guns, Germs, and Steel was a fascinating read about the fates of human societies, although I don't completely buy some of the theories in there. A Thousand and One Arabian Nights was a great escape into Middle Eastern fables and culture. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So you can arguably say, that although I'm worker bee, my job still allows me the time to be an intellectual and read a lot of books. In the past, I used to just play video games and think that was okay, but as I'm getting older, I'm finding more value out of reading books, reading the news daily, and watching the news. Not bad for a retail grocery guy.</span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i>Within toil's embrace, 'neath summer's grace,
Work's tapestry weaves, reflecting gratitude's trace.
Diligent labor, virtues dance and entwine,
Friendship's gem bestowed, goodwill's symphony divine.</i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i>Thoughts surge and soar, wisdom's zephyr at play,
Grateful heart's whisper, joy blossoms, come what may.
Nurtured by toil's loom, virtues spun like gold,
Kindness unfurls, a celestial story, yet untold.</i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i>Labor's rhythmic waltz, life's essence distilled,
With cherished companions, hearts forever thrilled.
Gratitude's dwelling, an everlasting rhyme,
In work's tender embrace, a sonnet of sublime. [ai generated, image ai generated]</i></span></p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-80797232065096418502023-04-04T02:05:00.000-07:002023-04-04T02:05:22.100-07:00April Fools <div><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfFu8eEmiGfgoSxAK382fGFwGA0KnfVDE9CzgJ9yVhG9TGqknbIrJVitJVVqyWjxI3nbypdE5CUBWPeas99k7RxDOyXFbBwHbuSk2FDbsDMd4wxBCwc8DdBQb0x9zxfmY7Ikc8jtqXjfavq68-L0IoyIpqWgL8ixhnK9Cs-6tzSlKt8677INcQOPfaZg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfFu8eEmiGfgoSxAK382fGFwGA0KnfVDE9CzgJ9yVhG9TGqknbIrJVitJVVqyWjxI3nbypdE5CUBWPeas99k7RxDOyXFbBwHbuSk2FDbsDMd4wxBCwc8DdBQb0x9zxfmY7Ikc8jtqXjfavq68-L0IoyIpqWgL8ixhnK9Cs-6tzSlKt8677INcQOPfaZg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Good evening,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's good to see you. I'd like to jot down some notes. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">First, once the holiday months passed, work became a lot slower. Typically in retail grocery this happens every year. Business picks up again in spring and summer. The holiday period was so intense this year that I'm glad to see less hours across the board. That doesn't sit well with the other employees though, who are counting on 40+ hours every week to make ends meet. But once April comes around the bend everybody will be working a lot more again and making more money. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Second, the most exciting thing that has happened is the developments around A.I. I've been especially into A.I. art. I started doing A.I. art the first month the art generators came out and I've really taken to it. I've tried all the best ones but the one I've taken to the most is Stable Diffusion 2.1 version, using BlueWillow on Discord and Magespace. I would like to use more Midjourney and Dall E2 but those cost $10/month. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">With Stable Diffusion I can practice a lot of prompts to keep tweaking my art styles without paying money. I don't know if there's a path along the road where I can change my knowledge into money, but for now it's been a big thing for me because it's something I can do solo and its using new, cutting-edge technology. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">One of the best things ever about doing A.I. art is that I learned that I have a good eye, I can tell good art when I see it. On top of that, the prompts work by text, so depending on how much you know, or potentially could know, you can create almost anything, endlessly.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Check out some of my A.I. artwork on Instagram, </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/jazzerrocker779/" style="font-family: georgia;">https://www.instagram.com/jazzerrocker779/</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Third, I've kept up with a lot of reading. Tonight I did a lot of reading reading the news. The big story is that Trump has finally been indicted. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I've read seven books so far this year: <i>Will and Ariel Durant's Rosseau and Revolution [history], Will and Ariel Durant's The Age of Voltaire [history], Anna LindenWaller's A Memory Called Empire [scifi], Anna LindenWaller's A Desolation Called Peace [scifi], Babel by R.F. Kuang [steampunk], Rite of Passage by Alexi Panshin [scifi], and Tales From A Thousand and One Nights by N.J. Dawood [canon]. </i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I've also still been practicing reading in Spanish and occasionally Italian and French when I have the time. One of my goals for the year is to read the Complete Works of William Shakespeare. I bought a copy at a library book sale for a dollar and it's a handsome hardcover edition.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Life seems to have slowed down for me in many respects. Most of my friends have moved far away, driven by what they think will be more happiness if they go somewhere else. Others we've simply broken up and went our separate ways because of personal problems between us or their lives just simply fell apart. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Even though some of my friends were extremely toxic when we spent too much time together I still feel for them and hope they go on to greener pastures. But I only know too well that just by moving from one situation to another, it does not simply make all the bad stuff go away. In fact, through my own experience I've learned that it's mostly worse when you think you can run from your problems and think things will be better. Out of the frying pan, into the fire, as they say. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">That being said, I wish them all the best. But the reality of the matter is that life is tough, for all of us, and we can't run from our problems, and magically everything will be better. This isn't anime or video games or Hulu TV. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I've tried to make the most out of my new lack of a social life by reading more, getting more rest, continuing to play and practice instruments, working on ai art, and music, using chatbots for ai art prompts, writing more, being more creative. As time goes on, I realize more and more that I have to be a creative and keep creating. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">image ai generated </span></div>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-43625192192853743802023-01-31T01:47:00.000-08:002023-01-31T01:47:33.324-08:00Retail Report January 2023 <p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYpFAth4c9PytiCHgs4_KaKL8Utm6hAYJ3T6RAUs3-glbkEqMLdLmPdZQEhwRypT1kz4acIGbOhBm1IsUACt_aw1dq3gQ_07uOSLfUOxgcruuNLJqH_fJbdwS9cXNCUzbU8hLobQrmwEsXnVOJmiLLLWuqT-f3YhaHISA6vJeIpyzsfzkBDh_kLeFDhQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYpFAth4c9PytiCHgs4_KaKL8Utm6hAYJ3T6RAUs3-glbkEqMLdLmPdZQEhwRypT1kz4acIGbOhBm1IsUACt_aw1dq3gQ_07uOSLfUOxgcruuNLJqH_fJbdwS9cXNCUzbU8hLobQrmwEsXnVOJmiLLLWuqT-f3YhaHISA6vJeIpyzsfzkBDh_kLeFDhQ" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><b>Good Evening</b></i>, </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">How is life treating you? In this crazy, topsy, turvy world one can sometimes not tell. Here I'd like to jot down some notes of what retail grocery has been like so far, this being the end of the first month of 2023. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">First, business is booming but inflation has hit our store shelves harder than ever. These are the most egregious prices for food that I have ever seen in my entire life. Many customers complain about the prices all day long and honestly, I can't blame them. We are, at this moment, selling a carton of eggs for $9.99. Meat prices are also very high. Most people stock up on the cheap stuff: grains, noodles, junk food like chips and soda, beer and wine. I don't think Americans are eating very well. And on top of that, a lot of them are beginning to become obese. Only in America. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Second, this is sort of minor but it's little things like this that get ignored that eventually grow into bigger issues getting ignored. The store's front door that opens and closes electronically when customers walk through has been broken for the last ten days. Meaning it won't open/close electronically anymore, therefore, the store manager has decided to leave the front door open at all times. Now, this isn't too big of an issue if you're a customer going for a quick beer run but for us employees this has become a big issue in the middle of winter, where cold windy air blasts are hitting you while on the checkstand, some nights its been like 47 degrees. You can justify the fact that the door's been like that for ten days anyway you want, but I see it for what it is, cutting costs at the employees' expense. Brrrrrrrrr! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Also, on top of that there's always the covid issue. Most management and both upper management have not been wearing facemasks since the beginning. This set a bad precedent for all the employees, so that when covid hit our store hard, many employees simply didn't even come back and we lost a lot of workers. At one point there was some 32 employees sick with covid. I was surprised but at the time the vaccine was out so I felt safer, especially with mask wearing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In addition, another bad precedent that the upper management set was that they decided very early to remove the plastic barriers guarding between the cashiers and the customers, both inside the checkout lanes and on the side self-checkout lanes. This is especially bad because covid isn't over and most customers don't wear facemasks, meaning they could easily spread particulates into the air by talking loudly. Although we have vaccines there are some employees and managers that don't have the vaccine, and have been infected with covid several times over, making the store still a potential place to catch covid. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Third, business is booming and the lines are never ending, leading to tiring, long work days. Despite high inflation prices, the work is still intense and nonstop. I would say the work became much more intense since covid 2020, and has stayed that way ever since. As a cashier who mostly works self-checkout most shifts, I would say the work is at its most intense, since I've started back in 2013, shockingly. Although the work is easy and self-explanatory in most cases, overall, when you consider how many customers I'm going through and helping individually, it's a nonstop never-ending rollercoaster. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In fact, I've had to take more time to rest and sleep longer during the day to deal with it. All my shifts are usually 330pm-12am shifts so working late all day and staying up half the night doesn't help. I'm getting older, but getting older doesn't hit you this fast. A part of it is the fact that the work I'm doing is intense, nonstop, and very fast. Most of the day you don't get time to think, reflect, or have time to think of things to say to people, including the people you're helping in the moment in real time. You learn to sort of grunt or say stock phrases and just press buttons, thus making the job more manageable. Life in big city.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Lastly, the good thing about my retail grocery gig is that I'm full time, I'm in the Union, and I've created a work persona that's somewhat popular over there. I mostly just get brownie points for being an agreeable guy and helping customers but I've become so good at it and so well known, that even my management and upper management commend me for it, whereas in the past, that wasn't always the case. Sometimes it takes a while to win over your bosses. But it is my capacity for happiness that is carrying me through what is an obviously grueling job day in and day out. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sometimes I think about doing other things: going back to college, getting a degree, doing something with it, going to trade school, doing something with a trade, or working harder on music and a band and touring, or just writing like I am now, only writing books and selling them. There's a myriad of things I could do, or not do, but none of that changes my degree of happiness or capacity for happiness. Surprisingly, I'm happy doing what I'm doing now. I sort of see that the work has become a one-note samba, but I won't let that discourage me from my path. The only path I see right now, is the path moving forward, into tomorrow. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">image ai generated </span></p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-72900926412549478822023-01-13T02:08:00.003-08:002023-01-13T02:12:11.346-08:00The Age of Voltaire by Will Durant <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMBaPPh1dvlvrZCYueiZryPp4RexBEc2yHnKx0wveM1CKb1-DgPr_bLsGXNOkIj_3pKsvixQK78toIiST6oDkhzMHndIKF7X-cmDBx-KkN9WZyNQtZ7pb22pSr-yIHK3Xb6yvHk98LLD1ydlfYSZTRtFWkyh-B2j67Ozz0mkA8m586itkkhhLxwwbOtg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMBaPPh1dvlvrZCYueiZryPp4RexBEc2yHnKx0wveM1CKb1-DgPr_bLsGXNOkIj_3pKsvixQK78toIiST6oDkhzMHndIKF7X-cmDBx-KkN9WZyNQtZ7pb22pSr-yIHK3Xb6yvHk98LLD1ydlfYSZTRtFWkyh-B2j67Ozz0mkA8m586itkkhhLxwwbOtg=w240-h320" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><b>The Age of Voltaire</b></i> is volume 9 of <i>Will Durant's Story of Civilization</i> series. So far I've read four of Will and Ariel Durant's Story of Civilization series of books: <i>The Italian Renaissance, The Life of Greece, The Age of Reason Begins</i>, and now finally I've read <i>The Age of Voltaire</i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Closing this book, I felt that this was an extensive and comprehensive history of the age right up to and leading into the French Revolution, the Age of Enlightenment in France, roughly 1680s-1780. Voltaire was born in 1694, ensconced in education through the Jesuits. The Jesuits were the main educators in this period and had a lot of influence over schooling of children [boys and girls] and even sometimes in government and various occupations. They were known for being very educated and lenient towards their people, although they themselves were also quite dogmatic about Christianity and its spread throughout other parts of the world like in Latin America and even China. Despite this early great education from the Jesuits, Voltaire grew to increasing dislike the Church as he gained more fame and influence. He spent a lot of time running around to different homes and even the home of Frederick the Great because of his critiques of the church and nobility. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">However, there was a lot more going on in the Church other than Jesuits. There was the growing disputes between church, the peasantry, the aristocrats, the nobles, and the church's feuds with protestants [Jansenists], Catholics, and atheists from the <i>philosophes</i>, the intellectuals [writers, philosophers, scientists, artists, mathematicians, playwrights] like Voltaire, Diderot, Rosseau, Montesquieu, and d'Alembert. These named in particular would have the greatest influence on France and in the world. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It should be named that being a philosopher in 18th century France isn't the same thing as being a philosopher in the 21st century. These intellectuals delved and wrote in a variety of fields and styles in order to reach their audience in the best ways they could. Voltaire didn't think much of giant books like the <span style="background-color: #f7f7f8; white-space: pre-wrap;">Encyclopédie [famous 18th century book from France by the <i>philosophes</i>], rather he thought that small books easily concealed would serve him better. So he ended up writing a lot of small works that contributed to his vast body of works. So Candide ended up becoming his most famous book. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><span style="background-color: #f7f7f8; white-space: pre-wrap;">But not every intellectual was an expert in a particular field. Rather a <i>philosophe</i>, was someone who was expected to know a little bit about every subject, even if they themselves weren't a master in each field. In order to write the </span></span><span style="background-color: #f7f7f8;"><span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Encyclopédie, the writers utilized and employed different </span></span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">philosophes </i><span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">for different phrases and words that they didn't feel adequate enough to cover themselves. </span></span> </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #f7f7f8;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What caused the French Revolution? This book doesn't entirely aim to answer this question, rather it focuses more on historical detail. But after reading The Age of Voltaire, you can figure it out. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #f7f7f8;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">France was deep in debt from wars and the debt fell upon the peasants more and more, as the nobility became more and more corrupt. Tensions increased between the nobles and the church, and eventually even the Jesuits who had educated all the best minds of the time, were expelled from France. On top of that, the educated people were being more and more exposed to the works of the intellectuals of the time, the <i>philosophes</i>, and now, more than ever, people were more willing to become atheists, little by little, influenced by these great men with big ideas, ideas that changed the world, would eventually lead to the world we live in now. A world of more religious toleration, human rights, democracy, and equality. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #f7f7f8;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Although the Age of Voltaire was published in 1965, it seems to somehow resonate in the scatter-brain afterimages of 21st century 2023. There's something there in this book that has an everlasting effect on the time it is describing, the time it was written in, and the time I live in now as I write this. It seems that now, more than ever, we're living in a world increasingly fraught with the same problems, plus a bunch of new additional ones, that weren't quite resolved from the French Revolution and perhaps never will be solved. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #f7f7f8;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">It has occurred to me after reading four volumes of Will Durant's Story of Civilization series, that the problems of any age seem to follow and recur in many others. There's always an endless cycle; renewal, back to the classic ages, onto a newer more advanced, more intellectual more philosophical more scientific less God, then an eventual regression back into a simpler mode of civilization, except we never really find out or perhaps we never can find out, that the civilization itself has already and always collapsed, only to be rebuilt by other people anew. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">It is said that on his deathbed, Voltaire, when asked to return to the faith of his fathers and renounce the devil, responded with, “</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">This is no time to be making new enemies.”</span></i></span></p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-85191849680166882492023-01-11T01:36:00.003-08:002023-01-11T01:50:39.374-08:00111 Day 2023, Happy New Year!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_5e_oBaYPzWpphEPRqfIiwfdcW_4T9n2HviPxFC2vklVybROX5g-IaeGzt6uxYscZnqKvFPHR8IOvhuzDi24QAtVWMJPOlrKSr-aguQTkywi50ATUjfQ5PTgwLGZoqOQh-HMQDoxxHLOPxndcsAgm1DQIOdYlVE2Re1t8nIsbR4i8la1QlW3qT8n8Q/s512/Tesla%20car%20submerged%20in%20swimming%20pool%203%20best.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_5e_oBaYPzWpphEPRqfIiwfdcW_4T9n2HviPxFC2vklVybROX5g-IaeGzt6uxYscZnqKvFPHR8IOvhuzDi24QAtVWMJPOlrKSr-aguQTkywi50ATUjfQ5PTgwLGZoqOQh-HMQDoxxHLOPxndcsAgm1DQIOdYlVE2Re1t8nIsbR4i8la1QlW3qT8n8Q/s320/Tesla%20car%20submerged%20in%20swimming%20pool%203%20best.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Good evening ladies and gentlemen, </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Happy new year! Today is 111 day, it's January 11th, the first month of the year, on the 11th day, 111 day. What a nice number. I hope you have been well. Have you? Is everything alright?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Things are spectacular right now. I'm on day 3 of my vacation week. This is a quiet vacation. I'm not going to travel anywhere or do anything too fancy. I just wanted time off from my busy retail gig. The store has been busy since the pandemic began in 2020. I requested this week long vacation every month since September 2022 and have been denied every month. That is, until now. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The vacation has been fruitful and relaxing. I have been reading a lot, practicing drums everyday, creating a lot of AI art, and eating out at my favorite restaurants. But contrary to most vacationers I haven't been overeating, rather I feel like I've been eating less, which has been better for the body. Refreshing and rejuvenating. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">First, I spent the first two days reading The Age of Voltaire by the historian Will Durant. It's an analysis of England and France before and around the time of the French revolution. Amazing historical detail. And I've learned a lot more about Voltaire, who although was trained by the Jesuits, was a sore wound in the side of Christianity and he was often persecuted for his views against the Church and the nobles as well as other intellectuals. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I nearly finished the book but decided to take a break because my dad recommended this new space opera that came out back in 2019. It's called A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. It's a homage to early Ursula K Leguin but it has a vibe very similar to Cecelia Holland's Floating Worlds, a 1970s space opera. It has all those space opera bells and whistles but it's also got a cultural and linguistics thing going for it as well. Some of the naming systems are middle eastern and the cultures within the book are Japanese and Chinese. It's quite good and I'd recommend it to any science fiction fans or anyone who's interested in reading a good space opera, a brand new one rather than the old classics. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Second, I've also been practicing drums with my new hi-hat cymbal. Tomorrow I've got a jam session with my friend who plays a Selmer alto saxophone. So tomorrow I'll use my makeshift 4-piece drum set, which includes a kibaga practice snare pad, a pearl limited edition snare, a meinL cymbal, and a ziljin hi-hat. I would have a bass drum and a tom, but space is limited here at the moment so I have to play with what I have.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Third, I've been creating a lot of ai art. You can view my work here <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jazzerrocker779/">https://www.instagram.com/jazzerrocker779/</a>. I've created a lot of my AI generated art using www.mage.space, a wonderful tool that recently came out with a payment model because so many people were using it and enjoying it. I've found that with AI I've been able to find out that I have an eye for art, the eye of an artist. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Furthermore, I had no idea that I had an eye for art until I was recommended to read Vasari's Lives, The Illustrated Lives of the Italian Painters of the Renaissance, I was recommended the book by my friend's wife, Elizabeth. From there I looked at and studied all the Italian Renaissance art I could and then after that my dad saw that I seemed interested in art, so he recommended that I start using mage.space to create AI art. From two older people with more knowledge I was able to find these things out and the rest is history. Now I do AI art often and I have over 5,000 images [gasp!]. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Lastly, what does life feel like now, and furthermore, going forward? Even though there are cyclones over Los Angeles and 90% of the state is in fear of flooding I feel great. I'm happy now because I'm on vacation and doing all the things I love with unlimited free time but in four days I'm back at work and it will be tough. How does one stay happy? </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i><span color="var(--tw-prose-body)" style="font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;">"There is no definitive answer to what makes humans happy, as it can vary greatly from person to person. However, some things that are commonly associated with happiness include having strong and supportive relationships, feeling fulfilled by one's work or hobbies, having financial security, having good physical and mental health, and feeling a sense of purpose or meaning in one's life. Additionally, people can also experience pleasure and enjoyment through different types of activities, such as exercising, traveling, or listening to music.</span></i><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><span color="var(--tw-prose-body)" style="font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>It's important to note that there are also other factors that play into happiness, such as genetics, which can account for up to 50% of the variance in happiness levels among people, and daily activities and practices can also have a positive impact.</i></span><div><span color="var(--tw-prose-body)" style="font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span color="var(--tw-prose-body)" style="font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Therapy and meditation, positive thinking, and gratitude are also known to be beneficial for one's well-being and may help some people increase their happiness levels." [openchatGPT]<br /></i></span></div></div><div><span color="var(--tw-prose-body)" style="font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>"Beneath cherry blossoms pink and white,
I find happiness in simple sights.
A gentle breeze, a babbling stream,
The rustling leaves, a peaceful gleam.</i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>With every step upon the path,
I feel my spirit start to lift.
And though the road may have its twists,
I know that joy and peace exist.</i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>As petals fall and dance around,
I'm filled with beauty that astounds.
And in the sunshine and the rain,
I find my heart is free again.</i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>So let us all take life in stride,
And let our hearts be open wide.
For in the end, it's not the end,
But the simple joys that make us blend.</i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>With the world and all its wonder,
Happiness will always be under
our feet, a constant companion,
guiding us to a brighter horizon." [openchatGPT]</i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">image ai generated </p></div>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-10526323762911038512022-12-26T22:54:00.007-08:002022-12-26T22:55:38.008-08:002022's Grand Exit, Happiness<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7z-ANYafSwIFRtchvpHMcmqU87f-15Tmc9AWZwyvo37cOYjy1wfWZ_y_KusrAQkW22KAvJjKAmm8oGp75gM5agMllKg1MRMuTGcD7V66L58ST294V2CewVzy2GLFDZ6rBuibm2TEfKxUQqQWe1H4mqhg5u7U-f2C-ytV0CoYOUnWMCPd-k5QN6A5Qfg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7z-ANYafSwIFRtchvpHMcmqU87f-15Tmc9AWZwyvo37cOYjy1wfWZ_y_KusrAQkW22KAvJjKAmm8oGp75gM5agMllKg1MRMuTGcD7V66L58ST294V2CewVzy2GLFDZ6rBuibm2TEfKxUQqQWe1H4mqhg5u7U-f2C-ytV0CoYOUnWMCPd-k5QN6A5Qfg" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Hello Readers, </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's the end of the year. Wow! What a year it has been. Let's go over things I did and worked on this year, changes in the work place that occurred, and some thoughts on happiness and wellbeing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">First, things I did. I worked a lot. I was promoted to full time cashier, got increased pay plus hours, so that's been a big change for me. For years I was only part time which meant I had a lot of discretionary free time to do whatever I wanted. Not so much these days. I work forty+ hours each week. Not only that, but the job has become more demanding in some respects because what with covid not going away, it has been nonstop busy even when the holidays aren't around. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Second, I worked on a lot of language learning. I've been learning a lot of languages ever since 2020 but I've become fairly proficient in Spanish, but I also know a lot of French, Italian, German, and a little Portuguese. These are the languages of the Hanseatic League, merchant guilds from central and northern Europe, going back to the 1400s. I'm the best at Spanish and French as my mother spoke some French and Creole around the house when I was a boy, and co-workers speak Spanish nonstop all day at work, so those two are fairly easy for me to pickup as I have heard it often. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">My accents became better when I combined learning words from reading in the languages on Kindle, then practicing with audiobooks in those languages. It was a combination of both. I would say its easy to start learning but difficult to keep up your motivation and go beyond basic phrases. At this point, I can understand Spanish well, and the rest decently, although I can probably read all of them better than I can speak them. It's been an engaging endeavor and I look forward to learning more in the future. It's an ongoing enterprise. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Third, I've learned drums and piano. I started learning drums in August and I've become good. I can play rock and jazz styles primarily. On piano, I focus more on a jazz style, with lots of chromatic chord changes, a la McCoy Tyner. I even learned how to play a bamboo flute. There's always new things with music but sometimes I get in these lulls where I'm not playing live very often and not doing jam sessions at the house, so I stay engaged by learning new instruments. That being said, I've spent too many months at different instruments and will focus this year on guitar. At heart, I'm a guitar player. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Alongside music and writing, my other creative pursuit has been AI art. You can see my best works here <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jazzerrocker779/">https://www.instagram.com/jazzerrocker779/</a>. I've had a lot of friends, acquaintances, co-workers, and more give me a lot of crap for using AI to create art. But the fact of the matter is that real artists are already using it, selling art with it, and making money.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The best AI art generator is called the DALL E 2, which uses openai.com's source code. You can buy from openai.com a low resolution image of your own creation for 8 cents, a better one for 16 cents, and an even better one for 18 cents. For that low cost even I could buy images if I knew I could make a return in my investments by selling them to others. Some artists are doing just that. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The openai team that created DALL E 2 just released openchatGPT, which is a huge gamechanger in the world of AI. I'll be using it in this blog. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I've been using a free AI art generator made by two guys who are using the Stable Diffusion AI art generator source code, it's called mage, you can find the art generator at <a href="http://www.mage.space">www.mage.space</a>. It's been so satisfying that I nearly quit playing video games to focus on reading books, music, and using mage to create art. My favorite thing about mage is that I don't have to actually have any art skills, I only need ideas. It works by having the user type in any words or numbers and it generates images based off that. Although I can't draw, I know the western canon, art history, and the Italian Art Renaissance period. So I can still can get great results. Take a look on my Instagram. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Fourth, a lot of things happened this year. In particular a lot changed in the world of retail grocery, my job. </span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>"</span><span style="background-color: #f7f7f8; color: #374151; white-space: pre-wrap;">The retail grocery industry saw significant changes and disruptions in 2022 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the major developments in the industry include the following:</span></span></i></p><ol style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; counter-reset: item 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Shift to online grocery shopping: The pandemic led to a significant increase in online grocery shopping as people tried to reduce their exposure to the virus by avoiding physical stores. Many grocery stores and retailers introduced or expanded their online ordering and delivery services to meet this demand.</span></i></p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Changes in shopping patterns: The pandemic also led to changes in shopping patterns, with people stockpiling certain items and shifting towards buying more pantry staples and frozen foods. This led to disruptions in supply chains and product availability.</span></i></p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Increase in demand for home delivery: The pandemic also led to an increase in demand for home delivery of groceries as people tried to minimize their in-store shopping trips. This led to an increase in the use of delivery services such as Instacart and Shipt, as well as the expansion of home delivery services by grocery chains.</span></i></p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Changes in store operations: In response to the pandemic, many grocery stores implemented changes to their store operations, including increased cleaning and sanitation measures, limits on the number of customers allowed in stores at a given time, and the use of face masks and other personal protective equipment by employees.</span></i></p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Impact on small and local businesses: The pandemic also had a significant impact on small and local grocery stores, which faced challenges in adapting to the changing market conditions and competing with larger chains that had more resources to invest in online and delivery services. Many small and local stores had to rely on community support to stay in business." [openchatGPT]</span></i></p></li></ol><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Lastly, although I've spent a lot of time logged in at work, I've also spent a lot of time thinking, learning, pontificating on the future. I've learned that I'm still happy despite losing friends, work getting tougher, people being more rude, and pay only barely improving. Of course, it helps to be the child who has his own. And not only that, but sometimes I'm the child who plays the Shakespearean Old Fool. And not only that but I also play the Voltaire Satirist Philosopher at Check Stand 9. All the worlds' stage. Life in its rich tapestry. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #343541; white-space: pre-wrap;">What will happiness be like in the future?</span></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>"It is difficult to predict what happiness will be like in the future, as it is influenced by many complex and dynamic factors, including societal and cultural changes, technological advances, economic conditions, and personal experiences and circumstances.</i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Happiness is a subjective and personal experience, and what brings happiness to one person may not necessarily bring happiness to another. Some people find happiness in material possessions, while others find it in relationships, personal achievements, or meaningful experiences.</i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>In the future, it is possible that advances in technology and medicine could lead to improvements in physical and mental health, which may contribute to greater overall happiness and well-being. However, these advancements could also bring about new challenges and concerns that may impact happiness in different ways.</i></span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></i></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Ultimately, happiness is a complex and multifaceted experience that is influenced by a wide range of factors, and it is difficult to predict how it will evolve in the future." </i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji""><i>"Happiness is a state of mind, with joy that we find." [openchatGPT]</i></span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">image ai generated</span></p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-54500264680165566752022-12-26T02:22:00.004-08:002022-12-26T02:25:44.631-08:00Christmas 2022<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitDQcwuCAmuEd6NNPj1tTJQrUSP1WN429V8gRVY7rijL5-s0tFNY8shnjwdepYJcALxdYiYv1zMHbqIR2PMPxaFEEh-ccJhygrPq36cAbhkHKuMjaz5WPzGNGBNXvk4aGu77q4z6H-N1hL44NWdnKgBe1N_K_RkyMU-DVyrwtqNZITEn7qDQBIOcNNoQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitDQcwuCAmuEd6NNPj1tTJQrUSP1WN429V8gRVY7rijL5-s0tFNY8shnjwdepYJcALxdYiYv1zMHbqIR2PMPxaFEEh-ccJhygrPq36cAbhkHKuMjaz5WPzGNGBNXvk4aGu77q4z6H-N1hL44NWdnKgBe1N_K_RkyMU-DVyrwtqNZITEn7qDQBIOcNNoQ=w200-h200" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Good evening ladies and gentlemen, </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Merry Christmas! This year has been busy on the job but I've surprisingly been able to make time for a lot of reading, practicing different instruments, as well as writing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Christmas is that special time of year. Why? </span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Christmas is a holiday that is celebrated by many people around the world, and it holds great significance for many people. Here are a few reasons why Christmas is so important:</span></i></p><ol style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; counter-reset: item 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 1.25em 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Christmas is a time of love and generosity: Christmas is a time when people come together to celebrate the love and generosity that exists in the world. It is a time to give gifts to loved ones, to spend time with family and friends, and to show appreciation for the people in our lives.</span></i></p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus: For many people, Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who is considered by Christians to be the son of God. The birth of Jesus is seen as a miraculous event, and the holiday is a way to remember and honor his life and teachings.</span></i></p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Christmas brings people together: Christmas is a time when people from all walks of life come together to celebrate. It is a time when people put aside their differences and focus on the things that bring them joy and happiness.</span></i></p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Christmas is a time of tradition: Many people have long-standing traditions that they participate in during the holiday season. These traditions help to create a sense of community and bring people together.</span></i></p></li></ol><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Overall, Christmas is a special time of year that is important for many people around the world. It is a time to celebrate love, generosity, and the birth of Jesus, and it is a time to come together and create lasting memories with loved ones." [openchatGPT]</span></i></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I've been somehow able to have a great time this year despite working nonstop with no vacation. You see, it all starts with the individual. I'm happy despite working all the time because I have the capacity for happiness. I've created time outside of work to create a persona, the persona of an artist, that is what I've done. </span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I've started doing a lot of AI art, ever since the AI art generators came out two months ago. I've even started using openchatGPT here in this blog post, practicing drums, piano, guitar, singing, writing blogs here and there, as well as reading a lot, the latest edition being historian Will Durant's Volume 2 of his Story of Civilization Series, The Life of Greece. So I seem to be awash in activity, but the activities give me a sense of who I am, and help with my capacity for happiness. </span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It seems that the older I get the more I realize you can't escape from pain in this world. But you can learn to be resilient and improve your capacity for happiness to live through it. Work seems more vital than ever, especially in California, where every man seems to have to prove his worth by having to earn more and more money, but I've also realized that work is essential to the intellectual artist outsider life as well. </span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Work is important for many reasons. It provides individuals with a sense of purpose and meaning, as well as a sense of accomplishment. Work also allows people to contribute to society and make a positive impact on the world. In addition, work provides people with financial stability and the ability to provide for themselves and their families. Finally, work can also be a source of personal growth and development, as it allows individuals to learn new skills, gain experience, and expand their knowledge and understanding of the world." [openchatGPT]</span></i></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">On Christmas Eve I was joking around with a customer and he liked my sense of mirth on the holiday and he tipped me $100, not too shabby! This year the family and I ate lobster at a wonderful Chinese restaurant. If you need me, I'll be practicing drums and piano or reading more of the Will Durant series. </span></p><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; background-color: #f7f7f8; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; margin: 1.25em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: times;">image ai generated </span></p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-21165237312515100752022-12-18T02:26:00.002-08:002022-12-18T02:58:02.958-08:00Holiday Retail 2022 <p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpq8RpZknZvcNmdDALZCUf0TIBAG0kieU6Y6zzsCKv_7MWFYj3tzMC_gEhhv_DrJ3vKSSl1N-UcWEC9FAyPgvSpP0rbBXJgmhnqCdUPskwQAEjAKIfyV60CCCLm34bM_IBtunmP98uis-ugb1mA4HDpwLGb2AuiliWkCR5k35JOQgOhvlFcCkuxzwjnA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpq8RpZknZvcNmdDALZCUf0TIBAG0kieU6Y6zzsCKv_7MWFYj3tzMC_gEhhv_DrJ3vKSSl1N-UcWEC9FAyPgvSpP0rbBXJgmhnqCdUPskwQAEjAKIfyV60CCCLm34bM_IBtunmP98uis-ugb1mA4HDpwLGb2AuiliWkCR5k35JOQgOhvlFcCkuxzwjnA" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Good evening ladies and gentlemen, </i></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's been a while since I wrote one of these. Here I'd like to explain to you what it's been like working the retail gig this holiday season. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">First, the work has been intense and nonstop. I've been working 42-48 hour weeks since November and the work isn't letting up even going into this week and Christmas week. The good news is that the pay is decent but it's tough making it through the slog every shift. I've been working five days per week with only two days off since the summer. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Second, cold/flu and covid season is here again, and with that brings sicknesses, mostly of a respiratory nature. For the first time since covid began in 2020, I finally got a regular cold. It only lasted a day or two but it was setback from my usual day to day routine. I still went to work as I felt well enough, but I probably initially got sick from work, from customers and/or employees. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Third, my job has become easier but its still grueling. I've sort of graduated from having to do regular checkout scanning large orders. Rather, my management has decided they want me to run self-checkout for my eight hour shifts, as its mostly machine button pressing menu, and the older cashier employees who aren't used to computers don't want to do it at all. So I sort of lucked out. Because the older employees don't want to do it, I end up doing it, and I get to avoid doing all the heavy lifting $400-$600 holiday orders and bagging a million bags. Not too shabby! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Fourth, the type of employees that get hired and stay on the job has diminished immensely. Right now, they want anyone they can because they need cashiers. So they hire them and immediately promote them to cashier. The problem is that none of them stay. There are two other young people my age, two girls, who are very good cashiers but all of the other young people are baggers or other positions that work menial side jobs in other departments. A lot of them are special needs and the regular ones seem to have a lot of behavioral issues. I've had to learn how to talk to these kids in a certain type of way to get them on my side and help me out. Not ideal to getting the job done everyday! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Fifth, management seems to be good this year at getting the job done. But they have done a horrible job in encouraging mask wearing so oftentimes the youth get sick easily and spread it around so that's concerning. My main problem with the management is that since day one in 2020 they weren't enforcing mask wearing either by customers or employees. That has been a problem since the early days of covid. The actual boss and co-director never wear masks and have had covid already several times. They probably spread it. One of the sales managers has had covid several times as well. I keep my mask on and keep my distance from all of them for my own safety. They all have failed horribly on this one simple task. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Lastly, the job has become more machine-like. You really get a sense that you're a cog in the machine in there nowadays. The upper management lack empathy, but you also see it at the lower management level as well as from the customers, that that's expected from customers at this point in the game. You have to really dig deep to see empathy and compassion from others there nowadays, but it is still there in small doses here and there. It's not the worst place in the world, but you can sort of see that one day this entire operation, this job will eventually become obsolete if replaced by machines. The self-checkout tells me that everyday. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">All that being said, my personal life is quite magisterial. I learned how to play piano, sing better, and drums. I can speak Spanish pretty well now, as well as a little French, Italian, German, and even Portuguese. I'm still reading the western canon and loving every minute of it. C'est la vie. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Happy Holidays!</i></span></p><p>image ai generated </p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-51989175277161409912022-12-15T23:08:00.005-08:002022-12-15T23:12:50.555-08:00Live Jazz Muzak! 12/15/22! Saxophone and drums! <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5dtWvgPhNo2UkYf98gTLPgN5p_zzQo2BI6gVbUvo6W1Cecfq7hGn6o0tM9ES7mwszRAUW7Uvkjh1N92g6it1VRCnnR8LDHDhm4_BqpjVJQdbP3pZ4AGBQHp9MMFiYzEXN8FtMKpMEU8rS83AXlAShEURCinsuBd03TnQM2IGz4kLYBdqF0RmGwGQAyA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="256" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5dtWvgPhNo2UkYf98gTLPgN5p_zzQo2BI6gVbUvo6W1Cecfq7hGn6o0tM9ES7mwszRAUW7Uvkjh1N92g6it1VRCnnR8LDHDhm4_BqpjVJQdbP3pZ4AGBQHp9MMFiYzEXN8FtMKpMEU8rS83AXlAShEURCinsuBd03TnQM2IGz4kLYBdqF0RmGwGQAyA=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></div> <i style="font-family: georgia;">Good evening, </i><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here is today's jam session recorded on 12/15/22, featuring Jason Tomas on alto saxophone and Orlando Figueroa on drums. Usually I play guitar but I decided to switch it up to add some spice to my life. Songs in order are cminor blues improv, blue monk by t.monk, autumn leaves by jerome kern, and Spanish blues improv. Tomas played a Selmer alto saxophone, I played a limited edition pearl snare, kibaga practice pad, and a meinl cymbal with sticks and brushes. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Recorded on laptop via Facebook then transferred to YouTube </span></p><p><br /></p><p>image ai generated, Replicant </p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-51981148538121321512022-12-08T00:17:00.003-08:002022-12-08T00:17:55.185-08:00Live Jazz Muzak! 12/7/22! <p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwDRNA3bdQMyuYitjTPNiMdudhI5LS_CG6WnCC99Iclslg0itvvLqwa2ShWlqGwHFPNxWXjxHn5rgPgAWJFtChRWSgT_CMYRkkohPPeTHuhjmhQqz0zRFTwfrK4k08Dfb1MUua81Lb5GrmACHZxBbgcP_D-fbKZnoVMywZNneDyXjkeWWZT0SSeinkDw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwDRNA3bdQMyuYitjTPNiMdudhI5LS_CG6WnCC99Iclslg0itvvLqwa2ShWlqGwHFPNxWXjxHn5rgPgAWJFtChRWSgT_CMYRkkohPPeTHuhjmhQqz0zRFTwfrK4k08Dfb1MUua81Lb5GrmACHZxBbgcP_D-fbKZnoVMywZNneDyXjkeWWZT0SSeinkDw" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here's a live jazz performance of some standards and improvised musique. I didn't have time to setup a livestream this time around, so I recorded with the Soundcorset app on my phone. Hope you enjoy the muzak! </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Blues Raga alto sax/guitar <a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/Yf56fo24i8?fbclid=IwAR1rEqsrjO3-zZYFNJWb_5R-4hCgirViM6IM2ZftQdceg-X1C3XtRiD8jFA">https://soundcorset.com/r/Yf56fo24i8?fbclid=IwAR1rEqsrjO3-zZYFNJWb_5R-4hCgirViM6IM2ZftQdceg-X1C3XtRiD8jFA</a></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Winter Leaves alto sax/guitar<a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/gTuo88m1Yr?fbclid=IwAR14yGV_ZiIlEXgiPyYvt2Pra1ynzOLKHl3cYute3UwusV6ew24DMYnlJcY"> https://soundcorset.com/r/gTuo88m1Yr?fbclid=IwAR14yGV_ZiIlEXgiPyYvt2Pra1ynzOLKHl3cYute3UwusV6ew24DMYnlJcY</a></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">All the things you aren't <a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/vFsNwdJNYO?fbclid=IwAR0r5osRRRDG01qjUO_HQVw9Yyj165dar18AkyS-N6qtU7DT7UfR5pYiYoQ">https://soundcorset.com/r/vFsNwdJNYO?fbclid=IwAR0r5osRRRDG01qjUO_HQVw9Yyj165dar18AkyS-N6qtU7DT7UfR5pYiYoQ</a></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Spanish Blues alto sax/guitar <a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/AQ8KA-ceeI?fbclid=IwAR3Bc6knRp-sj6pdEU7YHGgb3q5XuZ5ikDgWh7_Na5xSD-HvWjwA_z5NFGc">https://soundcorset.com/r/AQ8KA-ceeI?fbclid=IwAR3Bc6knRp-sj6pdEU7YHGgb3q5XuZ5ikDgWh7_Na5xSD-HvWjwA_z5NFGc</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Featuring Jason Tomas on alto saxophone and Orlando Figueroa on guitar, recorded in California 2022, on Android phone via Soundcorset app </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Signika;">image ai generated </span></p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-80966660812552001652022-11-29T18:31:00.006-08:002022-11-29T18:45:02.471-08:00Jazz Guitar Trio Improv<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQBZSMd_2tXbjCjje_tZ_HWFzYIJ1vBd8vf4WEeyfag5XtL3e0nG7fCXdQg5NGXlQhXrUf3G002Q1u_atxV-cEIZ99PnVH5c7t7LsQOk3hTZoxPb1UG7BDlIuKYZzHVEvdjhw9JO3Bmqpypgkt9SNPQgmdbe5UVMQr-yMaPtsFoQ_CKdz4JS0yRbofwQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQBZSMd_2tXbjCjje_tZ_HWFzYIJ1vBd8vf4WEeyfag5XtL3e0nG7fCXdQg5NGXlQhXrUf3G002Q1u_atxV-cEIZ99PnVH5c7t7LsQOk3hTZoxPb1UG7BDlIuKYZzHVEvdjhw9JO3Bmqpypgkt9SNPQgmdbe5UVMQr-yMaPtsFoQ_CKdz4JS0yRbofwQ" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>This was some jazz guitar trio improv with my friends from earlier tonight. Everything we played was straight ahead jazz except this one piece, this one stood out. It has some more classical and rock influences on my guitar parts. </span></div><p></p><p><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/YlFIOSV3nZ?fbclid=IwAR2wQfW53rEVL4hwi1DXkCfAdsKyX_MByS1G8fJUTfsyuGouxgUC4aZ9EVg"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://soundcorset.com/r/YlFIOSV3nZ?fbclid=IwAR2wQfW53rEVL4hwi1DXkCfAdsKyX_MByS1G8fJUTfsyuGouxgUC4aZ9EVg</span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Featuring Orlando Figueroa on guitar, Jason Tomas on alto saxophone, and Feather Robley on drums.</span></p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-52231923397698519562022-11-26T01:25:00.005-08:002022-11-26T02:25:27.818-08:00das Erntedankfest 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoRIhQ1GzQWXI2VlAN4QXEA_7k1NMoMH6Nc7DgkLfUY_IGrR6GjqfW-c8OxFQFhQhUEc8LETMGvcTZxhfp-y4E4ArabR_M0G1Qq5WGGoMdZsrDR_08FgKv55GoJuk5kAwnx3_ejldM0liwMdBM9T-e-C_IGXD20bWvvNscVbawdE3LHAgbus5mwzLlIQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoRIhQ1GzQWXI2VlAN4QXEA_7k1NMoMH6Nc7DgkLfUY_IGrR6GjqfW-c8OxFQFhQhUEc8LETMGvcTZxhfp-y4E4ArabR_M0G1Qq5WGGoMdZsrDR_08FgKv55GoJuk5kAwnx3_ejldM0liwMdBM9T-e-C_IGXD20bWvvNscVbawdE3LHAgbus5mwzLlIQ" width="240" /></a></div><i style="font-family: georgia;">Hello loyal blogspot readers, </i><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">How are you? It's been a minute. Things have been up, down, topsy, turvy. Here I'd like to jot down some notes on what life has been like this Thanksgiving week. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">First, I've been working nonstop since the summer. I've requested a week off for a vacation week every month since September and I've been denied every time. <i>C'est la vie</i>. On top of that, I only had Tuesday off this week so I'm working hardcore. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here's an empathetic experience for you. I was listening to classical music on my last ten minute break tonight and this cute girl I work with came in and talked on her phone for like two minutes, probably with her boyfriend. Then she just sat there and cried. It was super awkward. I didn't know what to say so I didn't say anything. But I was listening to a great classical piece without headphones so she heard it, and it seemed to soothe her, especially the last major chord ending the piece. Quite an experience. Did I mention she's cute?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Second, although my job is grueling, it is pretty easy. So although I get mad when I'm there sometimes, in reality, I can't complain too much. Pushing carts in the cold is harder work and I've done that too. I stand there and take cash and throw things in the bag. It helps to have a personality but the job doesn't require you to have any kind of personality whatsoever, so if you don't really want to talk, you can just say the bare minimum. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Third, this holiday season has been especially rough on the low level employees and the customers. The only way you can really enjoy this holiday season and have a lot of fun is if you're some kind of superman or superwoman. Most people that come to my line have nothing but complaints about this, that, the other, or prices of most things. I could care less. Nobody seems to be happy and you know what, that's not going to change. You know why? Because they simply lack the capacity for happiness. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Fourth, what is the capacity for happiness? The capacity for happiness is the ability to find happiness within yourself, in and outside of your own makeup and psyche, and being able to see it and fulfill it within others. When you are happy, you are smiling, even if not physically, your spirit will be shining bright, and when others see that, theirs will be too, ad infinitum. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But again, not to be rude, but most people can never be completely happy because most people simply lack the capacity for happiness. Nobody in the universe, not even God, or Christ Himself, can make you happy. You have to make the leap on your own for your own good. Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die. It easier to smoke pot or get drunk or do hard drugs. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Lastly, I've been talking about this idea for years on this blog. Here's a blog from 2020 even entitled Capacity for Happiness, you can read it <a href="https://ofigueroamusic.blogspot.com/2020/10/capacity-for-happiness.html" target="_blank">here.</a> When everything is going well, it doesn't really matter if your happy or sad or in the middle or whatever. But it's times like these, where the world seems to be falling off the hidden cliffs of the abyss, staring back at you, that's when you need to have practiced and gained the capacity for happiness, training within it and without it, your entire life, ad infinitum.</span></p><p>image ai generated </p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-49669747122735907842022-11-11T02:48:00.001-08:002022-11-11T02:48:50.386-08:00 Lebensmitteleinzelhandel<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOsft0c59rXXcBT07NnCJiOf77UKTqqlYVNcYZmcjM9B4LRMKjqH8jGalDqzhrtWuGsR4QZt-LlrmvsO8kTXDA3Zb7FzeWJj1pjSB3Dpwrpn-z5vDQoztEiS3NbFXl1Zn4zP2fs0EFQ8XKuMxQHXzCNyfZsOyV4GMcfWRssZnsK5ai0pXQCK0_HM7ONw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOsft0c59rXXcBT07NnCJiOf77UKTqqlYVNcYZmcjM9B4LRMKjqH8jGalDqzhrtWuGsR4QZt-LlrmvsO8kTXDA3Zb7FzeWJj1pjSB3Dpwrpn-z5vDQoztEiS3NbFXl1Zn4zP2fs0EFQ8XKuMxQHXzCNyfZsOyV4GMcfWRssZnsK5ai0pXQCK0_HM7ONw" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Gute Abend, </i></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here I thought I'd share a post about what it's been like working the retail grocery store, this far in the game, two years into covid, after working there for nine years. Buckle up, here we go. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Okay, so let's start with the good. After busting my ass working hard for nine years, on the ninth year I finally got promoted to full-time status as a full-time cashier. I no longer have to push carts, take out trash, do carryouts, or open the gate for the truck driver. My pay went up slightly but it's really not all that and a bag of chips by any means. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Now for the bad, get ready for chapter and verse. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">For starters, my management has become more aggressive and intense towards me. One of my managers has formed an active dislike for me and yells at me across the front end to shut up, and threatens me that she will talk to my store director unless I actually do shut up. So that's a new one. The other managers let me do my thing most of the time, one of them actually puts me in charge and he goes on about doing his own thing the entire night. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Second, my overall eight hour work days have become much more intense. We lost a lot of employees. The ones that get hired quit once they see how hard the work is. Not many of the young bagger kids want to be promoted to cashier because they know dealing with the customers is tricky and difficult especially in combination with dealing with the sales managers, front end manager, co-director, and store director. Consequently, I end up doing a lot more work. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Most of my shift now includes running seven self-checkout machines by myself for eight hours, usually from three-thirty pm to twelve am, five to six days per week. I get two ten minute breaks and one thirty minute break. The machines are glitchy but I've already figured out some ways to speed up the machines manually if things get too busy. When you're helping one person, another person needs help on another machine, then another, ad infinitum, per eight hours. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So there's the machine I have to deal with, as well as the customers themselves, as well as the money and cash handling. I've done the work piece meal here and there over the years but I was only part-time and wasn't working many hours. In comparison, I used to work about 28-35 hours per week for many years, and now I'm working 42-48 hours a week, sometimes six days a week. I never thought I would become a shopkeeper. The joke is that I've become petite bourgeois. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Third, more good. I get to meet many new and different people each day. My money addition and subtraction skills are instant. I can read people now. My customer service skills and dealing with the public has improved. My paychecks are larger. My job has stayed the same but the same old has surprisingly become better. I got a snare drum, cymbal, and two guitars from customers. And not only that, but the other day, a neighbor, who's a customer gave me a ride to guitar center.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">There's always two sides to the coin. Retail is very intense and unforgiving, but me, being the person I am, surprisingly I've made it work all these years and I've been at the company since 2013. In 2023 it will be ten years and I'll get a small pension out of it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Lastly, there's one critical element that we're missing. Can you be happy doing something like this for employment? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">For me, yes you can. Because, using the free time I have between shifts, I've been able to become a better musician [I now can sing, play bass, piano, and drums], and I've even become an intellectual [I've read the western canon, philosophy, history, and learned languages]. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But it's still a tough job. In fact, the first five years were brutal and I had to do a lot of life learning to get past those first five years. But now, I'm older, tougher, but yet fundamentally still the nice guy with the gift of gab. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In terms of covid the stores are doing much better but I'm still wearing a mask for personal safety.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Happy holidays!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">image ai generated </span></p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-12583757094714861342022-11-10T01:50:00.003-08:002022-11-29T16:22:30.244-08:00FTO Trio<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sRrNNq2ndH3VRealb-ZrOh3k3ihShy8q0-0xD1--F6UF07yCIZpU2DhIfo3wWRdZpu2-7N2ssYychlEP5EArbosbmqmGt-xTwPteKQpKvaX_rX1qmxQxnmp0IhZN2CG0Hzq10EvytkpvGVUJTTrCKs5BSVledO32_YjVADVUgrgejXLqOF-LCOlUTA/s512/saxophone%20drums%20guitar%20trio%20jazz%20living%20room%20on%20mars.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sRrNNq2ndH3VRealb-ZrOh3k3ihShy8q0-0xD1--F6UF07yCIZpU2DhIfo3wWRdZpu2-7N2ssYychlEP5EArbosbmqmGt-xTwPteKQpKvaX_rX1qmxQxnmp0IhZN2CG0Hzq10EvytkpvGVUJTTrCKs5BSVledO32_YjVADVUgrgejXLqOF-LCOlUTA/s320/saxophone%20drums%20guitar%20trio%20jazz%20living%20room%20on%20mars.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Gute Abend, </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I got my friend Feather, a death metal drummer to come over and play my snare and cymbal drum with brushes for a jam session. And Jason Tomas, a wonderful, amazing saxophone player played with us, with myself on seven-string guitar. This is the results. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">If you like what you hear here, check out my youtube channel, where you can hear Jason and myself do a lot of straight ahead jazz as a saxophone guitar duet. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Thank for listening and keep on rocking in the free world. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">[recordings listed in order performed, two improvisations and standards include autumn leaves and blue monk, recorded on android phone with soundcorset app, a free application]</span></p><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/loxu0bkA6x?fbclid=IwAR19ncfwUhAPRHhJhzF5JcXgzhBzFiF0j0CostYR8uDkoASJSLle2B7YeXA">https://soundcorset.com/r/loxu0bkA6x?fbclid=IwAR19ncfwUhAPRHhJhzF5JcXgzhBzFiF0j0CostYR8uDkoASJSLle2B7YeXA</a> [<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">fto trio abend blues]</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #212529; font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/sTe3vZfK4B?fbclid=IwAR0FlAGsRgq6ZpqK8MDu3yD2aMdj-mJUM7BlMB-efe1QWhj6-HW8hZHxJ2E">https://soundcorset.com/r/sTe3vZfK4B?fbclid=IwAR0FlAGsRgq6ZpqK8MDu3yD2aMdj-mJUM7BlMB-efe1QWhj6-HW8hZHxJ2E</a> [</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #212529; font-family: georgia;">fto trio autumn leaves]</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #212529; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #212529; font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/8ag85zyfBx?fbclid=IwAR2k7I5_Ps5i6WHw4DcySuFgvXDgCzlA3kJbwlIUmKdYABfOApiLd6Yy9NQ">https://soundcorset.com/r/8ag85zyfBx?fbclid=IwAR2k7I5_Ps5i6WHw4DcySuFgvXDgCzlA3kJbwlIUmKdYABfOApiLd6Yy9NQ</a> [</span></span><span style="color: #212529; font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;">fto trio blue monk]</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #212529; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #212529; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/82j2b4mJRp?fbclid=IwAR1bMo9lp2VPPyMAjuWl29KtbzLb2pVUPfqBF9OUHw7dpAtrdZ0h0GkwqVQ">https://soundcorset.com/r/82j2b4mJRp?fbclid=IwAR1bMo9lp2VPPyMAjuWl29KtbzLb2pVUPfqBF9OUHw7dpAtrdZ0h0GkwqVQ</a> [</span></span><span style="color: #212529; font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;">fto trio schlaf gut]</span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #212529; font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #212529; font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/CFSBQa8QrM?fbclid=IwAR1LB3ilFAtkYma1p81PJrWA5fYhjhv3h0-rU1AaL39uJhu7AdzjhWite7A">https://soundcorset.com/r/CFSBQa8QrM?fbclid=IwAR1LB3ilFAtkYma1p81PJrWA5fYhjhv3h0-rU1AaL39uJhu7AdzjhWite7A</a> [Drum Solo No.13]<br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><i>image ai generated </i></div>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-84196974453676325472022-11-08T17:45:00.016-08:002022-12-15T23:21:06.823-08:00My drum progress, Recordings made with Soundcorset <p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUrq279l8Uqme2eSt_BWnsksKWEtPaOMMtDLTKhIc3fsm4B9XcKd-FqikKlU4FfI_SunYciSxuyBFdqkmJLcy_OErnRts-orc1vkYomDvDvgUYO4TDHRq_bqsfhKm8xW4k59MQ27eLoPBD6A_bCrnVZ_pHS40v2Yvht6Jz9jI_DGiENAOwLCd2F9wNgA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUrq279l8Uqme2eSt_BWnsksKWEtPaOMMtDLTKhIc3fsm4B9XcKd-FqikKlU4FfI_SunYciSxuyBFdqkmJLcy_OErnRts-orc1vkYomDvDvgUYO4TDHRq_bqsfhKm8xW4k59MQ27eLoPBD6A_bCrnVZ_pHS40v2Yvht6Jz9jI_DGiENAOwLCd2F9wNgA" width="240" /></a></i></span></div><i style="font-family: georgia;">Hello Musicians and Muzak Fans,</i><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So I started playing drums back in August, at the end of the summer. I've always wanted to play drums as a kid and often spent a lot of time in the classroom trying to play a beat with a pen in one hand and a pencil in the other. I bought a cheap plastic/wood Kibaga snare drum practice and got some black painted ziljin thin sticks and got to practicing. My coworker told me how to play a basic rudiment and I got started from there. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Now it's November so I've been playing and practicing for three months. I've been recorded various drum solos at guitar center on their three thousand dollar Ludwig kit all this time as well as playing at home with a snare drum and cymbal that I got from this rock and roll guy who wanted me to be his drummer. These are all recorded with an Android free app called Soundcorset, it's very cheap, as in free. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But I digress, here are the recordings, enjoy. Arranged in order from earliest to most recent. Thank you in advance for showing interest and curiosity. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/A0kVQeM6Gh?fbclid=IwAR2p6rVdRFoG-785xgc_gvHWDqm5Ix9bu28hv4tYiFxhvO8pirq8zZ_ZPs4" target="_blank">https://soundcorset.com/r/A0kVQeM6Gh?fbclid=IwAR2p6rVdRFoG-785xgc_gvHWDqm5Ix9bu28hv4tYiFxhvO8pirq8zZ_ZPs4</a> [Drum Solo No.4]<br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/AvXQoK6pCp?fbclid=IwAR2lODFdEWXAxyTQzrLYRuPp46wUVdZLdIChL2fnSSXb3IpIDlnviEsIb9E" target="">https://soundcorset.com/r/AvXQoK6pCp?fbclid=IwAR2lODFdEWXAxyTQzrLYRuPp46wUVdZLdIChL2fnSSXb3IpIDlnviEsIb9E</a> [Drum Solo No.5]<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/hd1hMqvf3e?fbclid=IwAR1LJIvJ_5OdxQ-DZE2_0I3dte7bjqDwV58sRhyF4H-1B6aABk9N82toC58" target="_blank">https://soundcorset.com/r/hd1hMqvf3e?fbclid=IwAR1LJIvJ_5OdxQ-DZE2_0I3dte7bjqDwV58sRhyF4H-1B6aABk9N82toC58</a> [<span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lied vor der Arbeit, Jason Tomas alto saxophone, Orlando Drums snare/cymbal]</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/YY1EV9Ca9v?fbclid=IwAR3EGlq8YUy8RS5CD-uQ5y_pN_8dHPB8ZVlJE-RnYuCw59hvBg8SFrA5oic" target="">https://soundcorset.com/r/YY1EV9Ca9v?fbclid=IwAR3EGlq8YUy8RS5CD-uQ5y_pN_8dHPB8ZVlJE-RnYuCw59hvBg8SFrA5oic</a> [Heavy Blues, Jason Tomas alto saxophone, Orlando Drums snare/cymbal]<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/9h-WEVEeqY?fbclid=IwAR16sa_MTa_bTMNB1QB4OHp_xNf_IdH4gM1G9pJ2HSx5p2I4JP-ewoQC4_g" target="">https://soundcorset.com/r/9h-WEVEeqY?fbclid=IwAR16sa_MTa_bTMNB1QB4OHp_xNf_IdH4gM1G9pJ2HSx5p2I4JP-ewoQC4_g</a> [Speculation Band, Orlando Drums, Mike guitar/vocals]<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/xYrrAAMYzj?fbclid=IwAR3VQLFUG1s4TYwTQ5F2hpqfEYRDNtKZEF61AEzN1iXa7p9SZ-_CBRUhvUY" target="">https://soundcorset.com/r/xYrrAAMYzj?fbclid=IwAR3VQLFUG1s4TYwTQ5F2hpqfEYRDNtKZEF61AEzN1iXa7p9SZ-_CBRUhvUY</a> [Johnny B Goode, Orlando drums, Mike guitar/vocals]<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/7G3QFABqpH?fbclid=IwAR2D_p8xWSDmkZ3GFn-mFQxoUbHMHeFu8nEACLfpBMtM78CnmSyvHC-H-T8" target="">https://soundcorset.com/r/7G3QFABqpH?fbclid=IwAR2D_p8xWSDmkZ3GFn-mFQxoUbHMHeFu8nEACLfpBMtM78CnmSyvHC-H-T8</a> [Drum Solo No.6]<br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/YD6jYoTvHY?fbclid=IwAR133ioMCOqmhwupUJ2dx_7nmIqRgqhxr-9hMpjI-nvX_HUb4Q4Pl6HGFYo" style="font-family: georgia;" target="">https://soundcorset.com/r/YD6jYoTvHY?fbclid=IwAR133ioMCOqmhwupUJ2dx_7nmIqRgqhxr-9hMpjI-nvX_HUb4Q4Pl6HGFYo</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> [Drum Solo No.7]</span></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/wv-fdYamiA?fbclid=IwAR3xxxCtf60UwdXrL4KkPAR23ndtGvGFZfVCFe40_LvCTJ7k4Ae7v4tpefM"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://soundcorset.com/r/wv-fdYamiA?fbclid=IwAR3xxxCtf60UwdXrL4KkPAR23ndtGvGFZfVCFe40_LvCTJ7k4Ae7v4tpefM</span></a> [Drum Solo No.8]</p><p><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/SPu6MIMlIP?fbclid=IwAR0TvY_2mnwx8FPefmPBfYLVpvFSfIZ-tVQAcoqAdO5hKfVnOA95TCejBWI"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://soundcorset.com/r/SPu6MIMlIP?fbclid=IwAR0TvY_2mnwx8FPefmPBfYLVpvFSfIZ-tVQAcoqAdO5hKfVnOA95TCejBWI</span></a> [Drum Solo No.9]</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/1c5NoDpC3s?fbclid=IwAR1gVYHefRTtI5BegNW1x_MZ0I9_KkTRdlF2HZCOhmB3yy4xQy_zwE0fWCA">https://soundcorset.com/r/1c5NoDpC3s?fbclid=IwAR1gVYHefRTtI5BegNW1x_MZ0I9_KkTRdlF2HZCOhmB3yy4xQy_zwE0fWCA</a> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">[</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Drum Solo No.10]</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/J8UoWUwkXo?fbclid=IwAR0oW-ABFdVeeKtcq-0XFwY36MhMBUNK8QVxsLDtGniU1jqh4rWFokqyZZY">https://soundcorset.com/r/J8UoWUwkXo?fbclid=IwAR0oW-ABFdVeeKtcq-0XFwY36MhMBUNK8QVxsLDtGniU1jqh4rWFokqyZZY</a> [Drum Solo No.11]</span><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/4jPHRMv-BY?fbclid=IwAR3AnGuyh8OTxxVggJisiYTMzu2qXiKPUgN8oD6_5orL0LToBNm8pDw6q6M"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://soundcorset.com/r/4jPHRMv-BY?fbclid=IwAR3AnGuyh8OTxxVggJisiYTMzu2qXiKPUgN8oD6_5orL0LToBNm8pDw6q6M</span></a> <span style="font-family: georgia;">[Drum Solo No.12]</span><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/CFSBQa8QrM?fbclid=IwAR25qpVKJqY6zDvl8EBg_lLmXlmMVidjmOZcBKnpUxo1eA5XcQGuL67fNT4">https://soundcorset.com/r/CFSBQa8QrM?fbclid=IwAR25qpVKJqY6zDvl8EBg_lLmXlmMVidjmOZcBKnpUxo1eA5XcQGuL67fNT4</a> [Drum Solo No.13]</span><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/C377XapOKq?fbclid=IwAR3QP0ZJHA6l4ktscExanaAMKvBGTvHv9A0TUataYSduK3MAdnA0YlR1pBs">https://soundcorset.com/r/C377XapOKq?fbclid=IwAR3QP0ZJHA6l4ktscExanaAMKvBGTvHv9A0TUataYSduK3MAdnA0YlR1pBs</a> [Drum Solo No.14]<br /></span></p><p><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/-8jaSCZnW3?fbclid=IwAR3-Qp56bHGzIByZ82ZzJZ8NU7oT9PWkueNxOiVPpz_SF9uv2vpAozp_oJI" style="font-family: georgia;">https://soundcorset.com/r/-8jaSCZnW3?fbclid=IwAR3-Qp56bHGzIByZ82ZzJZ8NU7oT9PWkueNxOiVPpz_SF9uv2vpAozp_oJI</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> [Drum Solo No.15]</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/QPlLp2yXoB?fbclid=IwAR06W3w9tnhjM_5GURYYOBshDVLzlHPygq-SibqRAJ2qCLRoMazGnsmu5rM">https://soundcorset.com/r/QPlLp2yXoB?fbclid=IwAR06W3w9tnhjM_5GURYYOBshDVLzlHPygq-SibqRAJ2qCLRoMazGnsmu5rM</a> [Drum Solo No.16]</span></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeIJ94gG3js"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeIJ94gG3js</span></a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> [Live Jazz jam session 12/15/22]</span><br /></p><p><a href="https://soundcorset.com/" style="font-family: georgia;">https://soundcorset.com/</a></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>image ai generated with stable diffusion </i></span></p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-32031646650476860352022-11-03T02:58:00.006-07:002022-11-03T07:51:26.609-07:00Speculation Band Rock and Roll Jam<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><i><div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEia8IRidPcRpbkXhfnl3pQxnxdQgwKnVxTS0vfmAE76-4ZR7jfOdIkOYc4hc1ScEymGKKXa2EJOfS5KN6paLee7qTd7PDGbUnHV3pKD61pFLgyZjxwpRGUjEJN_rH5jCmxKv_Y07TcicgSp-zoBaC3o7UHLT9LtX5QCdM4MX56448Y3JsoI40yGL-103w" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEia8IRidPcRpbkXhfnl3pQxnxdQgwKnVxTS0vfmAE76-4ZR7jfOdIkOYc4hc1ScEymGKKXa2EJOfS5KN6paLee7qTd7PDGbUnHV3pKD61pFLgyZjxwpRGUjEJN_rH5jCmxKv_Y07TcicgSp-zoBaC3o7UHLT9LtX5QCdM4MX56448Y3JsoI40yGL-103w" width="240" /></a></div><br /></i><i>Hello rock and rollers, </i></div></i><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Check out this list of recordings I made on my android phone. The quality isn't the best but its true to the rock and roll spirit. I met a guy at the checkout line at work that wanted to jam with me and this is what we got out of it. I played guitar a bit and played drums a bit, apparently, I'm a drummer too now, and even occasional piano. I do it all, I can even sing while playing drums, super hard sometimes. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The guitar bits with me on guitar are with Jim's Signature Eddie Van Halen guitar, which he says he got personally from Eddie himself. Well, him telling me that did make me play much better. Check out it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/lIwPlA-HNs?fbclid=IwAR0MSTg4xQw-1o7RsW6Y2USTP-5mTBjuCOYNT4VJPtFyEAWRk-G-tzj03ag">https://soundcorset.com/r/lIwPlA-HNs?fbclid=IwAR0MSTg4xQw-1o7RsW6Y2USTP-5mTBjuCOYNT4VJPtFyEAWRk-G-tzj03ag</a> [<span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Speculation band Orlando guitar and Mike on drums/spoken word, played with the signature EVH guitar]</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/xYrrAAMYzj?fbclid=IwAR2GV6OeZg9rdt3nQK2SqXzCmlykbxhz8u2hS11Lk6UfxnYu214wSsd3U8w">https://soundcorset.com/r/xYrrAAMYzj?fbclid=IwAR2GV6OeZg9rdt3nQK2SqXzCmlykbxhz8u2hS11Lk6UfxnYu214wSsd3U8w</a> [</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Speculation band Johnny B Goode Orlando drums Mike guitar/vocals]</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/Qz7I2VzWUL?fbclid=IwAR2-n7VOVIaCcyFZ07NmeFT6BFCMb_3avnsRmx-MekDSNOTtB6hj2GrjNbE">https://soundcorset.com/r/Qz7I2VzWUL?fbclid=IwAR2-n7VOVIaCcyFZ07NmeFT6BFCMb_3avnsRmx-MekDSNOTtB6hj2GrjNbE</a> [</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Speculation band metal Orlando guitar, Mike drums, with the EVH signature guitar]</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/9h-WEVEeqY?fbclid=IwAR16sa_MTa_bTMNB1QB4OHp_xNf_IdH4gM1G9pJ2HSx5p2I4JP-ewoQC4_g">https://soundcorset.com/r/9h-WEVEeqY?fbclid=IwAR16sa_MTa_bTMNB1QB4OHp_xNf_IdH4gM1G9pJ2HSx5p2I4JP-ewoQC4_g</a> [<span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Speculation band Mike guitar/vocals, Orlando drums]</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://soundcorset.com/r/AvXQoK6pCp?fbclid=IwAR2PtgQbUL340Bgs-VYF7Y7_yuAQqYSElWqpg2GZza82xaLT0cXOnzoBL_k">https://soundcorset.com/r/AvXQoK6pCp?fbclid=IwAR2PtgQbUL340Bgs-VYF7Y7_yuAQqYSElWqpg2GZza82xaLT0cXOnzoBL_k</a> [Orlando drum solo]<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Keep on rocking in the free world! </span></p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-43040288382526583072022-11-02T01:24:00.005-07:002022-11-02T01:24:58.772-07:00verändert sich durch Sein und Zeit<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwx67aBjPEj6rCfaEoe7wBS7sxifCw8NW56j5pw2jalrkW_s-7gxJZtYrgJUCz92Lk8HSBCUtTqd1sCwms9b4YuB8GA3D-SUvS3YR_RPXwO0-3sWcmPsNaCK46N0uiydnfo-7Lore3rWsoLSNICPwJyhrG0yWRQ19rP1_HyU9a5G8N4X82q_cZ0p4dw/s512/android%20playing%20jazz%20saxophone%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwx67aBjPEj6rCfaEoe7wBS7sxifCw8NW56j5pw2jalrkW_s-7gxJZtYrgJUCz92Lk8HSBCUtTqd1sCwms9b4YuB8GA3D-SUvS3YR_RPXwO0-3sWcmPsNaCK46N0uiydnfo-7Lore3rWsoLSNICPwJyhrG0yWRQ19rP1_HyU9a5G8N4X82q_cZ0p4dw/s320/android%20playing%20jazz%20saxophone%202.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Gute Abend, </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Things are changing so much and so rapidly it's almost as if time itself is a blur. In the blink of an eye, we are born, we grow, we live, and we die. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Mortality and fate are intertwined, although the moderns have never been able to quite explain or understand it no matter how far they get in doing so. The Ancients had an easier way of trying to understand it, but they too failed in this fundamentally human question. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I've lived in Los Angeles for ten years, have had a great life, made some friends, partied and chilled with a lot of people, became a better musician, and even became a part of these rock and roll after hours parties by playing Hendrix for drunkards and druggies. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Life is good. But fundamentally I realize I'm right back where I started when I first got here. Trying to make it in Los Angeles through music, my own wits, and whatever talents I may have in any other areas. It's rough. It's rough for anybody out here. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The pandemic made life for a lot of people much worse. Their children have become stay-at-home malcontents that can't handle working, or worse, they just do drugs and alcohol and have no hope of ever succeeding in life, let alone holding onto a job without switching every 2-4 years. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">There are new strains of corona out there and there's more of the threat of respiratory diseases for infants and young children. Politics have become embroiled and republicans are content to make fun of Pelosi's husband pretty much getting murdered. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">To be alive in the bitter sea. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">What's a guy to do?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Run the changes again. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Play the same old song but in a different way. In order to live in this decline of western civilization, you must learn to find a new way to live. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">For everyone, this will mean something different. For me, I had to learn to stay away from problem people and their problems, and stay focused on my job, music, reading, eating better and losing weight, and maintaining, making, and improving relationships. None of it is easy. In fact, it' grueling and mind-numbing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">For years and years I used to be content to sit in my room and play video games, not caring about anything going on outside my window. Then the pandemic kicked in and somehow I became more serious. I realized how fickle life can be. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I started taking music more seriously, deeply trying to understand everything I read, rather than just reading for pleasure. I started learning languages like Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese. I learned how to play jazz guitar so I could get out of my rock guitar virtuoso lizard brain. I started playing piano and drums and even singing. I even did a lot of open mics where I was playing electric guitar plugged into a PA, and singing along to my guitar. Scary! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Today, I took the bus to guitar center and bought a pair of drum brushes, brushes, used to play more mellow soulful jazz patterns and ballads, even swing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So there you go. Find your way to live. The meaning of life is that it is meant to be lived. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">You got this. </span></p><p><i>[photo is ai generated, created with stable diffusion, android playing jazz saxophone]</i> </p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-50452829717419862202022-10-20T01:56:00.007-07:002022-10-25T01:29:14.121-07:00Siegfried comes to save Los Angeles <p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_IpldDPAzGouWHasyz_t1ngz8Tnaisp-4ZqB4VhJZcdDOoAZZ9pHxWjEYv7vO39yesrlkSih9ARhYskgV8biGQwt8SBMkkOmbT6GuGkkEmo54NBTuUCavVN-j549EKNsuQYjhpTqJoFB1ZXZEX0zkhwYz1IDF4Bm8uzkQTXdR2PPyl9Ral6iDRgoEKA" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="600" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_IpldDPAzGouWHasyz_t1ngz8Tnaisp-4ZqB4VhJZcdDOoAZZ9pHxWjEYv7vO39yesrlkSih9ARhYskgV8biGQwt8SBMkkOmbT6GuGkkEmo54NBTuUCavVN-j549EKNsuQYjhpTqJoFB1ZXZEX0zkhwYz1IDF4Bm8uzkQTXdR2PPyl9Ral6iDRgoEKA=w400-h297" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p>Good evening ladies and gentlemen,</p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's been a long time. Hello world. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I've been okay. C'est la vie, as the French say. There's a lot going on in today's rapidly changing world. A lot of it is terrifying, especially for a 33 year old American male, but really, for anybody, the times they are a-change-in. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">We just came out of a terrible presidency by one of the worst people on the planet and Americans are still supporting him even to this day like he's God's gift to woman. America is becoming more and more totalitarian in every way, shape, and form, and believe me folks, its not just republicans who are Attila the Hun fans, it's democrats too. My work has cameras locked onto every cashier and in every aisle to make sure nobody steals anything. Sound familiar? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">On top of that there's record inflation, soaring gas prices, we can't afford rent, we can't afford groceries, our kids are continuously getting gunned down by madmen in schools, we can't afford children we already have, the climate has gone to the dogs, and the white people have decided to ban abortions but secretly allow their women to get abortion pills and stuff like that. Don't forget climate change. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Covid isn't going away, and rather, is evolving faster than we can create vaccines for. The workforce doesn't quite know it yet, but they've been decimated by long covid and we don't know the full extent of the long term symptoms but one of them is being tired all the time and continuous brain fog. These victims can't even read a book, I'm afraid, they wouldn't have the attention span. On top of that, other countries are taking more control over the world and America has become a lesser. Trump made our country weak and Biden couldn't fix it. And now we're stuck. Interesting times. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Companies are becoming less and less employee focused, even Union shops, and rather, instead, they've become more like sweat shops. Ironically, more like China. This has been happening since the American early days of the robber barons. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Welcome to America, we're the gestapo now, and we support Atilla the Hun, and my name is Siegfried, I have blonde hair and blue eyes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But seriously, what can one do with a mess like this one? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">There's nothing you really can do except vote Democrat for the Mid Terms. They're the lesser of the two evils, they at least attempt to do the right thing, although they're no angels either.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Part of the problem is that everybody is living in a separate world in this moment of time. Nobody reads the same news, nobody watches the same tv shows, nobody plays the same video games, nobody reads the same books, nobody can agree on anything, and most people aren't smart enough to take news, facts, and information and think for themselves, rather they believe what they hear and just naturally assume that's the way it is, that it is truth, that everything they see and hear is a fact. What happened to thinking for yourselves? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I told my friends I take the bus in LA. They said, "Be careful! There's criminals on the bus who will rob you."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I said, "What criminals? Where? Did somebody rob you on the bus?"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">They said, "No, but I just heard about it on the news."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Are they all really that scared? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">That's beside the point.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">What we really need is a remote coalition government that isn't controlled by government, republicans, democrats, libertarians, socialists, communists, or our parents. We all need to come together to vote Democrat, a New Great Society, but only the true believers in the good are allowed in. Are you one of us? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Signika;">The end of the beginning. More work to be done tomorrow! </span></p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-21258513685854606452022-10-07T10:57:00.000-07:002022-10-07T10:57:00.479-07:00Live Jazz! Guitar and Saxophone! 10/6/2022! <p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0Km9rjsh8w&ab_channel=MegaFigueroa007">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0Km9rjsh8w&ab_channel=MegaFigueroa007</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i>Featuring Jason Tomas on alto saxophone and Orlando Figueroa on guitar</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i>Improv most of the set, and Blue Monk by Thelonious Monk</i></span></p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-53335060084398044052022-09-20T08:03:00.003-07:002022-09-20T08:03:24.926-07:00Live Jazz Trio! 9/14/2022! <p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC4eRvDbS88&t=218s&ab_channel=MegaFigueroa007">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC4eRvDbS88&t=218s&ab_channel=MegaFigueroa007</a><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RhMMStW7-8&t=1715s&ab_channel=MegaFigueroa007"><span style="font-size: large;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RhMMStW7-8&t=1715s&ab_channel=MegaFigueroa007</span></a><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Live Jazz Trio, recorded live from Facebook on 9/14/2022</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Feather Robley on percussion</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Jason Tomas on alto saxophone</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Orlando Figueroa on 7-string guitar </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Thank You</span></p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-64310082834116552282022-09-12T12:22:00.002-07:002022-09-12T12:22:40.248-07:00Live Jazz! 9/9/2022! <span style="font-family: Neuton; font-size: x-large;"><i>Listen to it or be square! </i></span><div><span style="font-family: Neuton; font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq57g1C2fWA&t=868s" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Neuton; font-size: x-large;"><i>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq57g1C2fWA&t=868s</i></span></a><br /></div>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-40765972948282926712022-08-29T01:46:00.000-07:002022-08-29T01:46:15.832-07:00The Summer Drum <p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQJAiPRx4roAjWAg8TTAa3ROBsf9Tt8qiwJMtxnw8R58OeN-PtvOPqOsoer9eaLkB0W_2L38cF4mY2unTGN9gAilF8_6CT5F6dGY9S89RMnCa5zGHROys-_ylQnSBLaOjwSu9X_imyTUmZQ5WMvOmcnZwBLK4nxeWB-qM2zjLQLxPZCaGEjwtIQkf33Q" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="823" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQJAiPRx4roAjWAg8TTAa3ROBsf9Tt8qiwJMtxnw8R58OeN-PtvOPqOsoer9eaLkB0W_2L38cF4mY2unTGN9gAilF8_6CT5F6dGY9S89RMnCa5zGHROys-_ylQnSBLaOjwSu9X_imyTUmZQ5WMvOmcnZwBLK4nxeWB-qM2zjLQLxPZCaGEjwtIQkf33Q" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Summer's almost gone, <i>you <span style="color: #800180;">Doors fans, dang hippies</span>!</i></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The summer is almost over. And what a hot summer it was. Too hot. The planet is experiencing the worst global warming ever. But that's not the point of this blog. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Today I went to guitar center to play some real live drums, a real drum set. The first week or so I've only had a practice drum pad, which was too expensive, 30 bucks! For wool. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Okay, so I've been intimated by drums forever. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In fact, when I first played drums the first day at guitar center I was so self conscious that when people came into the room I stopped the cymbals and silenced them with my hands like Bill Bruford LOL.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But you can learn to get confidence on a new instrument. I just started playing the best I could and somehow they were impressed. The guy even asked to hold my stick to see if there was magic in it. He tried it and he wasn't that good. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Two weeks later I went back more determined but when I sat on the kit I was still self conscious and fearful. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Then I remembered some rock song with a 16th note hi hat pattern, it was like a Zappa thing or something. Or like Deep Purple's Ian Pace. So I hit the 16th note pattern on the hi hat, then copied it across the entire kit, from the hi hat, to snare, to toms, to cymbals, and walaaaaaaaaaaah, polyrhythms are born! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Then suddenly I was playing lighter and faster, and I was starting to get more jazzy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Just goes to show you that you need practice really to have the confidence. They go hand in hand. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I don't have much time to practice, what with working 48 hours at the retail gig, but the time I do use, is spent with great listening and patience, that I sort of can copy things somehow. Must be all the practice from guitar. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Get me a different drum for every different emotion, it's go time. This is like therapy lol. Cathartic. </i></span></p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-87255511766433705982022-08-13T01:41:00.003-07:002022-08-13T01:54:11.113-07:00Primal Instinct Ready for Deployment <p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGKJitlt_WtRFvgffYf6t32yefOnsYDbzwKVKV_SFWE38y6VhzWgP4nEaSb-b-lUAM0YhPIpgewWQkQGLbhz57ND4UgIEeVqRZkcNnX3U3l6_HAkB6wleEn4i87X6EaN_kQkszkzNN3VsU8jBj8a4mMi74jFP7bD2Gorx3GzGEhIKHEfr01qSUA6Yduw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGKJitlt_WtRFvgffYf6t32yefOnsYDbzwKVKV_SFWE38y6VhzWgP4nEaSb-b-lUAM0YhPIpgewWQkQGLbhz57ND4UgIEeVqRZkcNnX3U3l6_HAkB6wleEn4i87X6EaN_kQkszkzNN3VsU8jBj8a4mMi74jFP7bD2Gorx3GzGEhIKHEfr01qSUA6Yduw=w225-h400" width="225" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hello, World. [computer science] </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">No, really. Bom gia! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here I'd like to write a short update on life and some ideas that have reverberated throughout my memory. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">First, I'm starting to start to ditch my electronics more and embrace nature. I've been experimenting with playing a lot less video games, and now I've finally reached the point where I think I can stop and not feel like I'm missing out. How did that happen? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Well, you see, I was having extreme computer issues. Minor problems, not hardware issues, just software issues. In the process, I learned a little bit more about software and how to fix them when things aren't handshaking. I had more fun learning and fixing the problem than actually playing the game. Therefore, I don't really need to play the game anymore. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Capeesh? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I even started turning off my phone and not leaving it in my pocket when I'm on the work floor. Much better, mucho gusto. Why? Less distractions. Less anxiety. Better performance. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Second, I'm starting to enjoy nature more, despite the 100 degree California heat. If you haven't read my post on what its been like being on foot in the hot sun all the time, look no further, and read this post here </span><a href="https://ofigueroamusic.blogspot.com/2022/06/children-of-sun.html" style="font-family: georgia;">here.</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> There are a lot of good mentions in that post about how to deal with 100 degree heat, on foot, working, eating, and more. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">My body is starting to respond. The first couple trips of adventuring in 100 degree heat were so brutal, so brutal in fact, that I could hardly really walk without feeling the weight of a thousand suns. [Lol], no, but it was fucking hot and I felt like a ton as a result. The answer to this problem? Well, you might not like this, but you just gotta fucking man up and not wimp out and just fucking overcome it like a boss you fucking weakling. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Your body feels weak and sluggish in the 100 degree hot sun because its hot, yes. But also, you've grown fat and weak, living on the American fat of bougies society, and now you can barely walk in 100 degree heat. That's the truth of the matter. The answer is to go primal and go back to nature and ditch video games and porn marathons, your endless cable news TV, your VR, your alcohol. Stop being a fuckin' biomass. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">If you want some inspiration, I recommend watching this cartoon on cartoon network called Primal. It's really cool and shows what man is really like when he isn't weighed down by the limitations of the 21st century and its bourgeois rulers. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But what do I know? I'm a guitar player hippie who should've been around in the 60s, not now. Yet here I am, and there you are, reading this for some reason, staring into the either.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I see now the limitations put on myself and others and am pushing through to the other side of human activity and intersubjectivity through my armchair sociology. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I see nature as something I've always loved, even as a child mediating under the stars. But I also know that nature is nasty, brutish, and short. So the long and short of it is, yes, nature is good, but it is no replacement or substitution for God or food for the soul. It's just something out there for you to enjoy. To really get spiritual healing you have to go much farther and do much more. </span></p><p><span style="color: #800180; font-family: georgia;"><i>Go do something you beautiful goon. And don't forget the water bottle this time. </i></span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-family: georgia;"><i>p.s. time keeps moving but its always in a circle, endless, starless, until it disappears within being and nothingness, and the cycle begins anew</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>-your friendly neighborhood retail philosopher </i></span></p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116136855665460591.post-78210812592745537012022-07-25T02:42:00.001-07:002022-07-25T02:51:53.334-07:00Otra Covid Wave, Ad Infinitum<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGNYFDDzTeppf1aKQCTegEVFkFRuhjd22H4tgMC7T62iOePoUDFS-aZ5VF0ELIxMN4T7NKQsIUWmdfLQ183YdgDF13hsUm0aNQBvj_PdwMqcSJNrbtlaTWpkE30uT1NMeXwtIbVWGdVapH51csLUt_4PKPw_TV4a4dN5dDjnITw9LmUxKS8mXe_N6NpA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGNYFDDzTeppf1aKQCTegEVFkFRuhjd22H4tgMC7T62iOePoUDFS-aZ5VF0ELIxMN4T7NKQsIUWmdfLQ183YdgDF13hsUm0aNQBvj_PdwMqcSJNrbtlaTWpkE30uT1NMeXwtIbVWGdVapH51csLUt_4PKPw_TV4a4dN5dDjnITw9LmUxKS8mXe_N6NpA" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hello ladies and gentlemen of the internet. Welcome to covid 2022 July edition. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">We're going on year three with this thing. It's a real drag. They're reinstating an LA mask mandate soon. I've only taken off some three months since covid began and surprisingly, I never caught covid myself from anybody. Talk about lucky! That being said, I wear my mask at work regularly and in crowded places just in case. However, I am double vaccinated. But I digress. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The work gig is going strong. The work is heavy and consistent as well as the hours and pay. Decent, but it's never enough to really pull you out of the class of poverty to the middle class.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Covid at work is still a thing but much less so nowadays. However, the case rates are going up again, so we are seeing small increases here and there. One of my pet peeves is the loud yelling customers that don't wear masks that really spray it all over the place. Yuck! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I mostly cashier and customer service. It ain't much but it's honest work. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In terms of my free time, I'm doing all kinds of things. I've learned a good amount of Spanish and bits of other languages like French, Portuguese, Italian, and even Chinese. I'm reading a lot of books, mostly classics of the western canon. Tonight, I was just reading Vasari's Lives, the chapter on Leonardo Da Vinci. I'm playing a lot of guitar. I'm seeing friends here and there. Owning enemy players as the team healer. Working at least forty hours a week. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">As this next covid wave storms upon the shore, remember to plant your anchor and keep your grounding. There's a storm brewing within the land and a lot of people are being washed away. You have to have a steady grounding in whatever it is that you do, believe, feel, and think, ya dig? For me, the answer has been to stay inspired, whatever it takes works, anytime, all the time. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In the beginning of the pandemic I was doing meditation about an hour each day because I was working less hours and had more relaxation time. Well, now I'm finally using that training to good use and using that TM to stay calm and relaxed even in my most stressful moments of my work day. Yowza, yowza! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">A new big thing for me has been to enjoy nature much more often. Whenever I go for walks now, I never put in earbuds. Just enjoy the scenery, the plants, the Sun, and the blue skies. I am a night elf druid. Nature thanks you. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Also, for those who are interested I've kept a record of life since covid first began, you can read my plague journal, as I call it, here, <a href="http://ofigueroamusic.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html">http://ofigueroamusic.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">See you later in time and space. </span></p>Ogspacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07810482541856361483noreply@blogger.com1