Android Apps 02/25/2010
 
It's been a while since I've let my tech-geek side come out here on the old blog, so I figured it was about time I let him stretch his legs.  This past December I made the leap into smart phone territory.  I had been using Verizon's mobile web app extensively on my last two phones and was primarily looking for a richer internet experience.  My (not so) new (anymore) HTC Droid Eris has definitely provided me with that, and quite a bit more.  I've been very impressed with the way this phone has increased my productivity and efficiency when I'm not at my desk.  Being able to buzz through a bunch of emails during downtime at a symphony rehearsal has given me more time to do other things when I get home.  I'm all about it.

One of the reasons I decided to go with an Android phone instead of an iPhone or the like was because of the open source aspect.  I like most of what Google's been doing in the past few years, and there OS seemed like a natural fit for me.  It has been.   Another thing that has been awesome is the Android App Store.  Admittedly, the store is not as well stocked as Apple's, but there are still a lot of valuable and fun things to download, and most of them are free!  I know I have readers who are also on the Android bandwagon, so today I thought I'd throw up a quick rundown of my 5 favorite free apps.  Here we go!

(one quick disclaimer that these screen shots aren't mine... they were compiled from around the internet)
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5. Advanced Task Killer Free

This is an indispensable tool.  Actually, if you're using Android, you probably don't need me to tell you about this one.  Everything you do on Android opens an app.  Almost none of those apps close when you leave the program, so your phone can get bogged down pretty quickly (sad news for speed and battery life).  This app lets you kill all that stuff running in the background.  Simple and necessary.
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4. The Weather Channel

The Eris comes with a great little weather widget right on the home screen, but it links up to AccuWeather online for more info.  Nothing wrong with that, but I've always appreciated The Weather Channel... use it on TV, online, on my desktop, so why not on my phone?  TWC's android app is simple and straightforward and gives you the info that you need.
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3. Ethereal Dialpad

This one goes in the "just plain fun" category.  A very simple little synthesizer.  Just select a scale and a "scene" of sorts and you're good to go.  Drag your finger across the screen to see and hear the synth come to life.  Great way to kill time, and the sounds it produces are very pleasing and relaxing.  Some of the visualizations are a little lame, but a couple of them are absolutely mesmerizing, plus it's free!
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2. Lightning Bug

I just discovered this one a couple of days ago.  It's a surprisingly full-featured sleep machine and alarm clock that I've used every night since.  You select one of five scenes and then blend in different sounds (I've been using "Beach At Night" with rain, lightning, and waves crashing).  Set a sleep timer and it fades it's volume down at the end of the time period.  It also has an alarm clock that lets you access all the major features of the built in alarm, but much more intuitively.  I used to have an alarm clock that did this and have missed it recently.  Not anymore!
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1. Bible

YouVersion.com is pretty much awesome.  Their online resources are top-notch, and the newest version of their Android app brings most of that functionality in.  Now you can log in with your account and follow all of the reading plans, versions, etc. that are available online.  The only thing still missing is an option to download Bibles for offline use (something that's been available on the iPhone app for some time now).  Any way you look at it, YouVersion is revolutionizing the way people read and study the Bible, and I'm glad they're sinking time into their Android development.  It pays off for people like me!
So there you have it!  A little bit of what's been taking up my time lately :-P  Nerdy tech post: complete.
 
40 Days Of Water 02/15/2010
 
Ash Wednesday is this week, which means that the Lenten season is almost upon us.  Lent has traditionally been a season of prayer and fasting, and the folks over at blood:water mission have come up with an excellent idea for this time of year in their 40 Days Of Water campaign.
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I participated in this last year, and will be doing it again this year.  I'd like to encourage you to participate as well.  It's a simple idea: drink nothing but water for 40 days & donate the money that you save to blood:water towards their efforts in Uganda.  Most of us never really think about how much we spend on beverages in a day or a week, although it can be quite significant.  Most of us have never had to worry about if we would be able to find clean drinking water, or how far we would have to walk to obtain it.  By drinking nothing but water (something that is readily available to us), we are able to offer those less fortunate an opportunity to have that same opportunity.  Would you consider joining me in this effort beginning on Wednesday?
 
 
So I'll admit right up front, I haven't used this product, and I really have no idea how it works.  That said, this looks to be a pretty amazing little innovation!  Check it out:

Square

Basically, it's a little device that you plug into the audio jack of your phone, ipod, etc. and it allows you to take credit card payments that way.  It's in what seems to be a very limited beta right now, but their website says it will be rolling out to the general public early next year.  They seem to be gearing it very heavily right now to small businesses, but I see huge potential for something like this in the independent music world.  I can't think of a show I've played in recent memory with CDs for sale where someone hasn't asked about credit cards.  And the truth is, I wish I could accept them, but the cost is prohibitive for only a few sales.  This looks like it could be a much simpler and more cost effective solution to this issue, and I will definitely be watching for that public release to see how the costs stack up!
 
Catching Up 07/03/2009
 

I haven't written anything here in a while.  I hadn't planned to be so absent, but life has just been crazy lately!  Now that the dust is settling a little bit, I figured I should check in here and fill everybody in!

I spent two weeks from June 13-27 as a camp counselor at Kirkmont Center.  I can honestly say that this is the thing I look forward to most each year.  This was my 12th consecutive summer there as a camper, counselor, or both.  This summer I spent my first week with a group of 6th grade guys, and had 7th graders the next week.  I was also the music director for both camps.  As always, my time at Kirkmont was definitely the highlight of the last year.

As soon as I got back to Columbus, it was time for another adventure: moving.  I've lived in the same apartment for 3 years now, and my roommate's been there for 4, but we decided it was time for a change.  We moved to a new apartment last weekend.  Pretty crazy coming straight off of two weeks of camp and then moving.  We did get it done, though!  Things are slowly starting to settle in here in the new place.  Life is starting to feel back to normal.  That's a good thing!

In other news, we finally got the vocals tracked for my new CD!  That means that all the tracks are down now, so it's just mixing left to do!  I'll be looking forward to hearing the final mixes and sharing them with all of you as soon as possible!

That's it for now... lots more coming soon, including my return to Sunday Setlists this weekend.

 
 

One of my lesser known hobbies/passions is minimalistic living & travel.  I'm the guy who goes on vacation for a week with nothing but a small duffel bag and still comes home with stuff I didn't use.  I've been interested in the small house movement for some time now, and Jay Shafer of the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company has been at the center of that movement since the beginning.  Having spent a significant amount of time on the Tumbleweed site checking out the plans and pictures over the years, I was more than a little excited to find out that Jay was personally bringing a brand new Tumbleweed Fencl on tour across the country.  I was even more excited when I realized that one of the stops was 15 minutes from my house!  I was lucky enough to go down tonight and see the Fencl, and I have a few pictures and thoughts to share with all of you:

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The Fencl is about 125 square feet (which by Tumbleweed standards would be a "mid sized" home).  There were about 15 tiny house enthusiasts there tonight to see the house.  Jay hung out inside and answered just about any question you could think of about his houses and company.  It was a real pleasure to meet him and some of the other folks from the Columbus area interested in these homes.
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The Fencl has a sleeping loft at one end of the house.  A lot of the Tumbleweed houses have full length lofts, but I think I like this design better, as it makes the great room (where we're all standing) feel really roomy.  There's a double ladder to get up to the loft, which holds a full size mattress comfortably.
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Here's a shot of the kitchen.  It features a small fridge and a double burner stove.  There's also a sink off to the right.  The bathroom is to the left.  There's a small heater in the great room which easily heats the entire house (Jay has reported in the past that he can heat his house for an entire year for less than $200)  Another thing that this picture illustrates (if only a little bit) is the abundant storage space.  For being such a small house, the Fencl has a ton of closet and shelf space.

To wrap this one up for anybody who's still with me... call me crazy (many people have), but I've always thought I could live in this type of house, and tonight definitely confirmed that.  When you go small, the quality can be really excellent, and to be honest, I think all of my stuff would fit in here (except for the large instruments, of course... some other kind of storage would need to be arranged for that gear)  I'm not sure if I'd want one quite this small, but I could definitely do less than 500 square feet.  The simplicity would be freeing, I think.

Maybe someday... for now, I'm just glad to say I finally got to see one in person!  So what do you think?
 
Memorial Day 05/25/2009
 

As most of you know (at least if you're here in the good 'ol U.S. of A.), today is Memorial Day.  I was thinking about this yesterday at my gig... a lot of folks seem to look at Memorial Day as a really good day to not go to work, have a party, have a few beers, and, in my case, make some money playing at said parties.  But how often do we lose sight of what this day is really all about?  In the end, we would not be assured of our right to do any of the things I mentioned above if it were not for the sacrifice of the countless men and women who have been fighting for this great country for over 200 years.  They
 were willing to give of themselves for the benefit of you, me, and every other American out there, and they certainly deserve our honor and respect, today and every other day.

Enjoy the holiday, and remember those who made it possible!

 
 

I hear people complain a lot about how there's never any good news.  I'm guilty of it as well.  Once in a while, though, you come across a story that just warms your heart.  I cam across one of those a few days ago.  Basically, it involves Warren Buffet (a.k.a. the second richest man in the world), some underprivileged girls in Omaha, and 17 brand new Hilo ukuleles.  Buffet bought the ukes and took them to the Omaha chapter of Girls Inc, where he not only gave them to some of the girls present, he also gave a lesson.  I love this story for a couple of reasons:

1.) This is a great example of somebody who has a lot giving something back.  Buffet is famous for this anyways, but this is a very tangible gift of money and time, which I think is very cool.

2.) It's musical - what's more, we're talking about the ukulele here!  As most of you know, I'm quite the ukulele fan myself, so I get excited whenever I see the instrument pop up in the news.  Great to know that more folks will be learning to play (the center is now offering weekly lessons to those interested).  It's always good to see somebody who is still emphasizing the importance of the arts to kids.

To close, here's my favorite quote from the article:

Buffett spent about an hour with 13 girls at the group's building, trying to teach them the songs "Red River Valley" and "Happy Birthday." It had to be pointed out to some of the girls who Buffett was. "After the fact, one girl came to the office and asked, 'Our ukulele teacher is the second-richest man in the world?'" Wilhelm recalled. "And I said that's true. And she said, 'The first-richest doesn't play?'" In fact, the first richest, Bill Gates, does play. Buffett taught him.

 
Hunger at Home 05/11/2009
 

Last week I read a study.  That study said, among other things, that 23.8% of children in Ohio under the age of 5 are "food insecure".  That's a really nice way of saying that they don't have enough to eat.  Only Louisiana and North Carolina have larger percentages.  So why am I mentioning this?  Because of this:

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"
                                                -Matthew 25:34-40

This is only one reference, but this passage and others make Jesus' opinion on this passage pretty clear - we are to care for the poor and feed the hungry.  I think a lot of times, though, we overlook the fact that a lot of those hungry people live here, right outside our doors, in our own neighborhoods.  We're acutely aware of hunger and poverty in other countries, and I'm not saying that we shouldn't support those folks - we absolutely should.  But what are we doing about hunger in our own communities?  Just a little "food" for thought today.

 
 

I'm back from New Orleans.  Actually, I got back Monday afternoon.  Thing is, just before we got on the bus to head for home, I started feeling pretty bad... by the time we got home I was pretty sick.  I was starting to feel better yesterday, but had a lot of catchup to do.  In any case... here I sit, on Friday afternoon, finally ready to write about this trip.

First off, our trip overall was excellent!  I'm not a big fan of traveling by bus (especially 16-18 hours each direction!), but this was a good group to do it with.  Sleepless night and neck cramps aside, we arrived in New Orleans around noon on Friday and went straight to a swamp boat tour.  Admittedly, I wasn't really looking forward to that... sounded hot and sticky to me.  Not so!  There was a great breeze, and the scenery there was beautiful!  Not only that, but we saw a lot of wildlife, including quite a few of these guys:

Yup, that's a gator.  Sorry about the poor quality of the pictures, I'm certainly no photographer, and took these with the VGA camera on my phone to boot.  We saw a lot of gators, some very young, and some very large (such as the one pictured).  Great introduction to the area.  From there we stopped at our hotel (not long enough to get a shower, though) and then headed to Michaul's for dinner.  This is by far my favorite picture from the trip:

I decided very quickly that this was a city I could eat in.  The food is simple, lots of rice and beans, not too much sauce.  My kind of stuff (though I also give it at least part of the credit for making me sick).  There was a band playing there that was well... pretty awful.  Didn't exactly live up to "live cajun music" - more like "bad cover band".  The staff was great though, and a lot of the kids did take advantage of the dance lessons, which was pretty awesome.  Then it was back to the hotel for a very well deserved night's sleep.

The next morning (Saturday), we got up early and headed to Loyola University for a clinic with Dr. Joseph Hebert:

He was great, and the kids really seemed to enjoy the clinic.  There was a choir clinic, as well, but I didn't get to see more than the last 2-3 minutes of it. 

Once we finished at the University, it was off to the Jazz Festival!  So much good music (not to mention more of that great food!) - it was a really great event.  We spent quite a few hours there and saw a LOT of great artists, but the headliner that night was Bon Jovi, and of course we couldn't miss that!

Of course, he doesn't sing any of the really high notes anymore, but it was still pretty impressive.  Estimates put at least 150,000 people at the festival that day, and at least half of those folks had to be at that Bon Jovi show.  We were very lucky to get the spot that we did!

Sunday started with a 3 hour bus tour of the city.  Honestly, this was probably my favorite part of the trip.  Our guide was fantastic, and we got a lot of insights on a lot of different things, including Katrina... more on that later.  Two interesting things I picked up from the tour:

1.) Cablecars - I had no idea that New Orleans had a cablecar system.  In fact, it's the primary form of public transportation there.  Pretty cool.

2.) The Cemeteries - In New Orleans, they bury the dead above ground.  Always have, as far as anybody knows.  Each family has a small tomb like the ones pictured above.  Very interesting... just not what we're used to around here!

The rest of the day was spent in the French Quarter, but for some reason, I neglected to take any pictures.  Suffice it to say, it was a good day!

Alright, big philosophical conclusion: In the past, when Katrina and other hurricanes have hit the area, I've wondered why anybody would want to live there, knowing that these natural disasters were a possibility.  Having spent just three days there, it all makes an awful lot more sense to me.  It's a beautiful area and a gorgeous city, even after the storms.  The people are wonderful, the weather is great, and the food is delicious.  I was enchanted with New Orleans.  I was also deeply saddened by the damage that is still there.  In some areas, such as the French Quarter, things are almost back to normal, and I will say this - the areas of the city that have come back, have come back with a renewed strength and spirit that is really, truly encouraging and a true testament to the human spirit.  But there are other areas, like the lower 9th ward, that are still absolutely decimated from the storm... which was 4 years ago!  I couldn't help but feel like a lot more of us should have known about this.  The politician types seem interested in "moving on" as quickly as possible from Katrina, but how can we when there are still huge skyscrapers downtown sitting empty?  How can we move on when there are entire city blocks of empty, condemned houses?  This is a beautiful city that holds a lot of American history in it and is unlike any other "big city" I've ever been in, and it still needs our help!  Just my thoughts after a few days.  I can safely say this, though - I LOVED New Orleans and I will DEFINITELY be back!