Not the End Of The World As We Know It

REM calls it a day.

Lots of good live memories, interviewed Peter Buck back when they actually needed the press ('84 or '85), and learned a couple of tunes that we used to play with the band.

Astonishing run for a single-guitar, four piece band. One of the last bands that proved that decent hooks, modest charisma from the lead singer and a no-bullshit persona can actually take a band a long way.

Would an REM make it today? Probably not.

The Ibanez

In yet another spasmodic twitch of retro-hobbyist compulsion, I brought my Ibanez electric (1975 Custom Les Paul copy) down to Robb's to get restrung and cleaned up. They did a very nice job - replaced the output jack (which has been crackly and loose as long as I've owned the thing) and tweaked the action a bit.

The amp is still in storage, but figuring now I may just capitalize on two offers of lessons to help me get back into playing.

Finding the time will be the real trick.

Hardware

In a probably vain attempt to revive my interest in messing around with Reason - especially, and maybe inappropriately, for use in a jam setting - I pulled my old laptop out the closet where it's been sitting for two years and fired it up. It's a single-core Intel machine, 1.7 ghz, probably seven year old technology. I bought it three years ago for $200 from a Craigslist ad.

I used it to some decent effect for burning vinyl for use on my iPod, but going to see if it works okay with the midi stuff.

Once booted up (the battery light keeps blinking - I suspect it's deceased, but the thing runs ok on AC) - I found that the wireless is cranky and the thing is brutally slow. We picked up an i7 Asus machine last year, so I don't use this thing much. But the real revelation was Windows. No less than 96 updates. Downloading/installing now. Sheesh.

I also picked up dbPowerAmp - paid $36 for the license - and have used that to retro-convert some of my iTunes stuff from M4A to MP3, for use on my phone. The Verizon media software to transfer photos and videos to and from PC/phone is clunky and stupid, but I managed to wrestle it into submission. Go me.