Venya (he/him/dude) 🇺🇦

House dad, #audio hobbyist and #musician in #Nashville. Recovering #USmil.

#BassGuitar for Colors of Creation, #FallLineDrive, and your next #music project.

Danger to myself and others with #Reaper, #Inkscape, #TrueNAS, #Debian, my #bicycle, and #solar.

Possibly a #Luddite. Definitely #AntiFascist.

Posts auto-delete; life is short.

#NoIndex

Public Key

npub1cju8wygnymy7e908gaumlwsf3wskjs67885g526xptugmrvjruzs98vc72

NIP-05 Address

venya@musicians-today.mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsvfwrhzyfjdj0vjhn5w7dlhgychgtfgd0rn6y29drq47yd3kfp7pgpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerfw36x7tnsw43qa78j2c

Publishing to

relay.ditto.pub

Author Public Key

npub1cju8wygnymy7e908gaumlwsf3wskjs67885g526xptugmrvjruzs98vc72

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Last Notes

2026-10-27 12:14:46 UTC

If @nprofile…yk43 isn't on your #Halloween playlist, do you even Halloween?
https://expirationdaterecords.com/mykie-frankenstein-spiders-in-my-eyes/
#FairCamp #IndieMusic #GothRock

2026-10-26 14:33:03 UTC

A helpful primer on #USpol economic theory:
- stimulus: when it's for you or people you like
- bribery: when it's for people you don't like
- socialism: when it's for poor people you don't like

2026-10-24 19:14:49 UTC

Any of my audio peeps going to #AES #Nashville next weekend?
#ProAudio

2026-10-21 21:44:02 UTC

"High Stakes in Cyberspace"
October 31, 1995
PBS #Frontline
Frontline tracks the new land rush to stake claims in cyberspace by asking hard questions about the optimistic predictions for a cyber-revolution. Correspondent Robert Krulwich reports on the effects these changes will have on the individual and how they will alter society.
https://archive.org/details/HighStakesinCyberspace
#Archive

2026-10-18 12:12:20 UTC

I have heard the laments of my people and was moved to pity. Reluctantly, I performed the ritual Changing of the Thermostat from cooling to heat.

2026-10-15 21:22:26 UTC

What's our favorite chorus pedal for #BassGuitar, #GearSquad?

2026-10-13 15:03:38 UTC

One of the dangers is #eBikes is that I feel compelled to branch out in both directions
"A regular bike would also be fun, sometimes, I bet"
"If I had a small electric motorcycle, we wouldn't need a third car..."

2026-10-12 01:47:58 UTC

One of my favorite collaborators is a perfectly cromulent bass player in his own right. He definitely does not need me.
I have to remind myself that it's not that I'm a *better* bass player
but rather a *different* bass player
I take things in different directions from what he would do on his own. And it is fun. I'm grateful for the opportunity to put my spin on his stuff.
Anyway, @nprofile…yk43 and I are working on #FallLineDrive stuff again.
https://expirationdaterecords.com/fall-line-drive-ep/
#Musicking #BassGuitar

2026-10-04 21:40:01 UTC

A lot of the fun of riding a nice quiet electric bike to the park is kinda sucked away when you're surrounded by people with loud motorcycles, jacked up pickup trucks, and/or just blaring their music really loud out open windows.
(also those ridiculous gas-powered overgrown golf carts)

2026-10-03 16:00:37 UTC

There are about 40 people in this presentation at the #library about #gardening (Beyond aesthetics: garden as if life depends on it)
And at 48 I'm definitely in the bottom three people in terms of age

2026-10-03 12:21:39 UTC

Bots drove us off the conventional web.
We still had to pay bills, interact with services or government, but it ceased being a place of community as the costs to run sites and fight spam and model training exploded.
Our refugee communities fractured. Some of us went back to BBSes, IRC, or Gopher; some tried to make Gemini and Reticulum work.
But when we coalesced around the Next Place, it clicked. And we swore never to name it here. What cannot be named, cannot be harvested.
#MicroFiction

2026-09-29 11:35:09 UTC

The nice thing about only admining servers for my own home network is I can just make changes to firewall rules and see what complains because downtime on my game server doesn't really matter much
(but also wtf was I thinking with some of these?)

2026-09-29 11:14:23 UTC

So many sources are garbage now.
I know a little about a lot of things, and a lot about some things.
Unlike the garbage automated tools, I know when I _don't_ know things and I'll say so.
Humans, please feel free to ask me about any of the topics I post about regularly or mention, or that might be in my wheelhouse. Especially for topics that aren't as well-represented on the fediverse, like #USmil or #guns etc.
It's not #LazyWeb; it's #AskAHuman

2026-09-28 20:14:29 UTC

computer is kinda hard to use this way
#CatsOfMastodon
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/117/350/488/209/233/029/original/8e3b97c22cff6989.jpg

2026-09-28 19:59:48 UTC

Hey Sweetwater, I'm no math whiz, but something about the savings here seems a little... off.
$190 off of $199 would be... $9.
(This is actually probably a pretty good deal and I like SansAmp pedals, but I could do with a bit more honesty and reason in my pricing and marketing.)
#GearSquad
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/117/350/404/672/979/482/original/e20c3203ea05cf36.png

2026-09-26 22:54:28 UTC

#Italian is a beautifully expressive and efficient language. For example, "al dente" is Italian for "I'm tired of waiting for this pasta to cook so it's done enough."

2026-09-26 22:01:29 UTC

Gonna change my name tag to "Rogue AI" and then just do whatever the hell I want

2026-09-26 12:13:13 UTC

I am reading through #BikeNite answers about people's experiences with multimodal rides (e.g. bike plus train or other transit)
and I feel like I'm just on a different planet from everyone else
#Nashville has some transit but in general this area hates its bike riders and pedestrians slightly more than it hates its drivers.
If I'm not riding in my own neighborhood, I'm driving my minivan to the starting point. I'd love to have better options.

2026-09-25 14:27:03 UTC

Surprise hit read of the week
#gardening #compost #library
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/117/332/143/147/832/338/original/7f4e1668615c75fb.jpg

2026-09-24 23:09:52 UTC

cool cool cool
I've lost count of how many times various government agencies have done this to me
OMB gave up my extensive background check info to foreign intelligence (I assume, at least) so what's a little SSN among friends?
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/117/328/536/569/433/198/original/b63289ae578b4016.jpg

2026-09-23 14:51:17 UTC

I've been thinking about recreating this EP with live instruments + DAW, or at least synthetic +bass and guitar.
The original was done just with my OG #NovationCircuit #GrooveBox recorded into stereo, with a few overdubbed solos. The mix and certain aspects of it have always bothered me. And I no longer have the Circuit so I've no easy way to fix it other than by recreation...
on #FairCamp
https://listen.soundslike.pro/variable-resistor-ost/
#BandCamp
https://atm1l0.bandcamp.com/album/variable-resistor-ost
#InternetArchive
https://archive.org/details/variable-resistor-ost

2026-09-22 16:39:47 UTC

Perverse incentives
This is about 5 months' worth of cardboard. The large box (originally containing a couch) was packed absolutely full of broken down cardboard boxes; it is now less full because of the brand new large recycle bin.
The bin will be emptied tomorrow and twice monthly thereafter, so I should be rid of the cardboard soon.
I pay $330 annually for the bin and the service.
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/117/315/664/524/044/434/original/a6b557151ca2df9f.jpg

2026-09-20 21:20:22 UTC

They won't read the manual I keep futilely updating but maybe a full color printout with sane defaults and, er, simplified explanation will help.
Yay #Inkscape
I really do like this #Mackie mixer, though I have to employ a kinda hacky setup to get what I need from it.
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/117/305/444/561/267/794/original/bb09f03a6c9107a2.png

2026-09-02 17:49:16 UTC

Got some real circle-of-life stuff going on in my front yard.
This morning I noticed a dead rabbit along the side of the road when I was heading out on my bike ride. I went out to dispose of him just now and there were half a dozen turkey vultures taking care of it for me.
Which, okay, on the one hand, ew. But on the other hand, thanks. I didn't really want to just throw the poor guy away but wasn't sure what else to do with him.

2026-08-31 15:28:59 UTC

I'm thinking about hosting my web site from my #TrueNAS box on my home network. My hosting needs are not expensive (been using #NearlyFreeSpeechNet since 2005), but they could be even lesser. And it's not like the world comes crashing down if there is downtime.

2026-08-29 23:15:22 UTC

Playing a musical instrument is a skill.
Playing a musical instrument WITH OTHER MUSICIANS is a different, more complex skill.
This is a public service announcement from your rhythm section.
#musicking #GuitarPlayersYesIAmTalkingToYou

2026-08-28 23:00:22 UTC

Every time I see AI-generated imagery used by people I otherwise respect, I just feel so tired. I just want to disengage from it entirely.
You could have literally used a free stock photo, even a crayon drawing. I would have preferred the crayon drawing.

2026-08-26 14:57:10 UTC

#Tennessee is losing its collective mind a little bit more than normal this week.
#Dolly

2026-08-22 23:33:51 UTC

My 18yo son is on his first date.

2026-08-20 14:50:55 UTC

The worst part of doing AV for a funeral is listening to the same cheesy contemporary Christian pop song for 90 minutes.
The second worst part is wearing long pants and shoes.
The third worst part is controlling my tongue because not everyone has the same sense of humor about death as my family does.

2026-08-18 22:13:57 UTC

I am watching the 1980s animated GI Joe movie.

2026-08-17 16:54:34 UTC

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@nprofile…nekg @nprofile…59xt
I was able to talk my family off Spotify and we've been using Tidal for a year or so, but with only middling happiness. The quality is great. The app is a little confused sometimes. I had only heard about Qobuz right after I had them move so I wanted to give it some time before moving again.
If I ever get around to setting up a proper VPN, we could stream music from the home Jellyfin library so a service that lets us easily buy things is very tempting.

2026-08-16 23:07:11 UTC

I am giving #FediHood a try and it's not very populated yet and there are some rough edges, but I REALLY like this idea.
I had to use different profile and header pics because I kept confusing myself.
https://fedihood.social/
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/117/107/684/898/661/797/original/548b09e85b36b51e.png

2026-08-14 11:53:13 UTC

I burned my tongue on my first cup of coffee
Why are we most easily hurt by those we love?

2026-08-11 11:36:09 UTC

Today's plan:
- Drink coffee
- Go for a ride (warcycling for #MeshCore #MeshMapper)
- mow back lawn
- watch Star Trek II
- band rehearsal / singer tryout
But alas there is a #cat in my lap so I didn't even get to the coffee
I shall die here, I guess
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/117/076/667/110/423/644/original/a051127fd8cf60d1.jpg

2026-08-10 20:49:45 UTC

#Babylon5 is being posted to YouTube. You need to suffer through the growing pains of the pilot and first season before it really gets going. It's worth it.

2026-08-10 12:28:43 UTC

All is right in the world again. Well, living room, anyway.
While I was replacing the remaining tuning heads, another one broke off (!) so I'm really glad I didn't just buy one.
I also managed to squeeze the bottle too hard and the top came off and shot fretboard oil everywhere. So that ain't great. But it's a small thing.
I've not had new strings since I got this in '21. You forget the zing.
#BassGuitar #Coffee #Ibanez
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/117/071/211/405/152/650/original/3819718ca3cf3ffd.jpg
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/117/071/211/497/994/385/original/2b7c40e0e679158f.jpg

2026-08-09 14:36:14 UTC

Once again covering AV for church. Once again, much simpler and straightforward since moving our streaming setup to #Debian and #OBS_Studio.
Kinda bored tbh. Resisting the temptation to install games on the streaming machine.

2026-08-08 10:40:02 UTC

Is there anything as annoying as an adolescent in love?
ffs son let me drink my coffee in peace

2026-08-06 16:48:31 UTC

I signed up to be a poll worker on the theory that if I'm working on election day, I won't be home drinking too much

2026-08-05 15:17:13 UTC

This is fantastic.
#nevent1q…cyue

2026-07-29 15:04:59 UTC

I used to have a children's anthology of #SciFi #ShortStories with one about how everyone was getting on the last ship to New Earth
and the girl was running to her grandfather's house to convince him to come
but he's planting flowers
anyway, they miss the last ship and she's crying
and he says, "This is New Earth. They took the old one with them. "
I've been thinking about this story for like 40 years. Wish I knew who wrote it.

2026-07-24 11:58:00 UTC

I was gonna go bike riding but cat
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/116/974/831/211/963/989/original/8f5646d19d8b790c.jpg
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/116/974/831/320/913/401/original/42ee624c428a308a.jpg
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/116/974/831/424/631/794/original/197fc99f18cc00b8.jpg

2026-07-23 00:55:48 UTC

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@nprofile…0392
Once in working to become certified as an instructor for a three-letter agency in a classified environment. Because I was a guest at that site, I didn't have any computer access so I had to make my demo class entirely unclassified (easy) and also without any computer aids (a little harder). I used a paper chart block and just wrote everything I needed out in markers and sketches and that helped me keep it to the important parts. Mine was overwhelmingly the favorite presentation.

2026-07-23 00:52:26 UTC

That wacky thing where you don't know why you were blocking someone because you didn't take notes so you unblock them and discover that you were actually following them before that
Guess I'll figure it out sooner or later
or it was a tragic error

2026-07-20 13:05:07 UTC

#NotJustBikes continues to radicalize me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s86kEUxxak
#transportation #autoluw #Amsterdam #bicycles #transit

2026-07-16 12:24:15 UTC

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@nprofile…nmr0
If it's not enjoyable on my living room television with regular stereo sound, it's not enjoyable to me. It might be ENHANCED by seeing on the big screen, but I don't generally enjoy going to the cinema any more so it had better be pretty good already.

2026-07-16 11:58:51 UTC

Dear actual #BassGuitar players:
The next class for Nashville's #Guitars4Vets chapter is starting up and this time I've been given two bass students.
I have my own ideas, of course, but a) I've never had lessons and b) I started playing in 1999 so I don't really remember clearly how to get started.
What are the most important things to start working on right away, but also ways for easy wins that are fun? The goal is achievement and fun in ten 1-hr lessons.
#Musicking #MusicLessons

2026-07-15 23:23:45 UTC

I've spent part of today waiting for one computer to compile and for another to render. I feel like a power user.

2026-07-15 15:33:30 UTC

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@nprofile…4e7w
I feel like the only really hard part is exclusion from search results because every engine does it differently, if it does it at all. This would be a killer feature for my in a search engine, though--the ability to easily and quickly block some things from ever showing up in results. Or even better, add blocklists that I can subscribe to.

2026-07-15 15:24:48 UTC

I need a "dead to me" browser plugin
One button:
- blocks the domain
- removes any references to it from my search results
- lets me check a box / enter a note for WHY I no longer wish to acknowledge the existence of said thing (e.g. "AI slop")
Anything like this out there for #Vivaldi or #Chrome?

2026-07-15 12:43:48 UTC

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@nprofile…4e7w I've been weaning myself off various G services for a good while now. Honestly, I think Maps is the hardest. I use it habitually even for relatively short trips because the traffic conditions here can radically alter the routing decisions if you are aware. I should explore some alternatives.

2026-07-15 12:40:10 UTC

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@nprofile…nmr0
I'm assuming at some point there will be lawsuits where people will get asked when they knew he was dead and there will be some tragilarious prevarication as they try to avoid outright lying.

2026-07-14 14:33:09 UTC

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@nprofile…ugx0 @nprofile…4e7w
My 15yo listens to "90s Dad Rock" which is remarkably like my CD collection and I feel a little attacked but also gratified that I can introduce him to so much stuff that he likes

2026-07-14 13:57:00 UTC

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@nprofile…4e7w "Classic Rock" when I was a teen in the 90s was from 20 years earlier. The music I was listening to in the 90s is now, um, quite a bit older than that.

2026-07-14 11:57:59 UTC

Sometimes I think I should make a list of my particularly annoying traits, vices, and important errors
to be read off at my funeral because I think we should speak honestly of the dead and the living
and I'd hate for my friends and family to gloss over things out of a misguided desire not to speak ill of the dead
the only way to speak ill of the dead is not to speak the truth

2026-07-13 02:18:15 UTC

It's weirdly validating when we watch a movie from my childhood (Ghostbusters (1984) in this case) and my 15yo son says things like, "Okay, I see why you like that."

2026-07-12 02:14:07 UTC

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@nprofile…awd8
Yes! I hosted a short audio drama my kids wrote and performed on mine.
https://listen.soundslike.pro/nervous-bongos/
Not sure the current state of payment options but I believe you are correct.

2026-07-10 20:29:03 UTC

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@nprofile…egn4
Wow. Pretty impressive audacity, Behringer suing anyone for knock-off gear.

2026-07-08 19:43:58 UTC

It feels like they blasted my left ear with a fire hose, but the nice people at the VA made it so I can hear again from my left ear. Once the soreness fades I will appreciate it properly.
They suggest that if you are prone to wax buildup, using the ear drops once a week maybe ought to be part of your routine. Using ear plugs (or in-ear monitors) tends to exacerbate the problem.

2026-07-02 21:00:13 UTC

What the heck kind of #pumpkin is this ripe and ready at the beginning of July?
We didn't plant it. The vine just took over and produced.
#gardening
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/116/852/387/319/575/242/original/d8d62bd6778a1344.jpg
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/116/852/387/277/416/667/original/9a42c704e6b21adc.jpg

2026-07-02 14:25:16 UTC

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@nprofile…nmr0
I'm trying to figure out a way to re-wild our back yard at least in part, without letting the ticks and other really obnoxious bugs run rampant. We spent some time wandering around the vegetable garden and yard yesterday morning, coming up with ideas for what we want it to become over the coming years. Don't have a lot of money, but I have a lot more time these days being a housedad, and it's a good trade for me.

2026-06-23 15:23:40 UTC

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@nprofile…ds0l
Had a nice chat with a friend yesterday who I think of as a peer, but he was in elementary school when I was in Afghanistan. He has little to no personal memory of 9/11, the invasion of Iraq, etc. I got the impression he felt like he was talking with a human artifact from another era.

2026-06-20 13:40:08 UTC

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@nprofile…x9q9
Recruit training barracks are hotbeds of communicable diseases. Very close quarters with people from all over, extreme stress, chronically short of sleep. I spent most of basic training with acute bronchitis, eventually getting hospitalized for two days. Pink eye was running rampant. You could barely hear some of the classes for all of the coughing.

2026-06-09 22:50:37 UTC

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@nprofile…4e7w
I tried to avoid the field in the later years. It's terribly dirty and the coffee is rubbish.

2026-06-09 14:09:55 UTC

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@nprofile…4e7w
They are endemic in military circles. All of the expensive tacticool weapons gadgets and multitools and backpacks and body armor attachments. Like cool story bro but are you going to carry all of that crap if we dismount (i.e. go on foot)?

2026-06-08 22:32:23 UTC

Can the next ridiculous financial bubble be used books? For once I'd be on the cutting edge.

2026-06-08 13:35:48 UTC

I am toying with attending the local #AmateurRadio club meeting on Thursday.
As with many of my other hobbies, I like radios but not usually radio people. In addition to the older dudes with too much money who are very proud of their radio budgets (the geardos), there is often casual racism and sexism that I can do without in my life.
But not always, and I would like to see what the local scene looks like prior to Field Day.

2026-06-08 02:00:59 UTC

They brought us a yellow pages. How... quaint.
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/116/712/017/649/939/489/original/b72b21e29f04a8db.jpg

2026-06-05 12:31:47 UTC

"A mailbox?"
"PERRY the mailbox?!"
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/116/697/494/685/917/905/original/a7742279fd00c895.jpg
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/116/697/510/101/499/606/original/349ad37a13962392.png

2026-06-02 13:45:30 UTC

the problem with #Inkscape is I open it to do one thing and immediately have a bunch of ideas for other cool things to do

2026-05-31 13:12:59 UTC

This sort of work is peak live music performance, but also system design. Fascinating look behind the scenes at how The Late Show (RIP) band performs, adapts, and improvises against constant moving targets.
Pedal boards, talkbacks, guitars, workflows, etc. Something for everybody.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ7Fu8BzwMc
#GearSquad #LiveMusic #Musicking

2026-05-27 20:44:29 UTC

I got the power
#solarpower
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/116/648/487/460/306/304/original/6a87742b0506fea5.jpg

2026-05-26 19:45:35 UTC

why recording studios have dogs and not #cats part 1 billion
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/116/642/586/350/410/609/original/0f73ebc86fd64e80.mp4

2026-05-23 12:39:00 UTC

This is an excellent #EMCOM thread. I love my radio stuff. I haven't yet set up an antenna at the new house (I primarily do #QRP field/temp setups) but it's on the list.
#MeshCore is also on the list, and I think a better entry ramp for normal people. #AmateurRadio is super well-documented and the initial license test is not that hard, but the cultural hurdles (i.e. moving into a new nerdspace) are significant. (I like radio much more than radio people.)
#nevent1q…2zds

2026-05-22 15:39:17 UTC

A robin has moved into my carport.
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/116/618/976/100/063/220/original/3d49912132ea66a9.jpg

2026-05-19 12:52:30 UTC

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@nprofile…nmr0
Some people need to travel just so they can start to believe in the existence of other places and peoples.

2026-05-19 11:49:20 UTC

My doctor is abruptly no longer with the VA and I am very sad. I'd never before had anything resembling continuity of care and she's been my primary since I started going to the VA in Nov '24. It was really nice.
I hope she left for oodles more money and less frustration because she deserves it.

2026-05-15 13:41:39 UTC

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@nprofile…nekg
I'm trying not to let it ruin my day.

2026-05-15 13:24:03 UTC

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@nprofile…nekg
It's 2026 and we are still doing stranger danger, apparently. I refrained from pointing out that statistically we were all in much greater danger from the law enforcement officer. They rarely like hearing that.

2026-05-15 13:21:40 UTC

Went for a long morning walk.
Some kids were across the street were waiting for their bus. They waved. I waved back. They asked me if I was carrying a Starbucks cup. I said yes, but it just had regular coffee from home. I asked if they were excited about school almost being over for the year. Yes, yes they were. We waved. I walked on.
On the way home, I got to talk to local law enforcement because of course someone called the cops on me for interacting with children from across the street.

2026-05-13 21:43:05 UTC

The most dangerous phrase: "So I've been watching a bunch of YouTube videos and I think I can do this myself"

2026-05-12 23:02:29 UTC

Got piano. Now we can pick up some sort of furniture for the rest of the room.
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/116/564/087/809/684/573/original/65e003db4ba488b3.jpg

2026-05-07 14:45:07 UTC

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@nprofile…dt0h @nprofile…nmr0
I think that is perhaps overstating the case. The media was heavily embedded in both Iraq wars and Afghanistan. The coverage was pretty heavy for counter-ISIS in 2016-7 when I was there.
That said, the current regime is active about keeping the media effectively cut off or force fed.

2026-05-07 14:23:07 UTC

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@nprofile…nmr0
When I was sitting in Ukraine in 2021 reading books about Vietnam (I had little mission and a lot of time), the parallels with Afghanistan (where I spent 2006) were screamingly obvious--just change the names and numbers.
And then Afghanistan collapsed that summer. As it was always going to eventually.
We don't learn. Institutional memory in the military is very short except with the senior leadership; everyone else gets out. And those leaders too often learned the wrong lessons.

2026-05-07 14:19:58 UTC

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@nprofile…nmr0
Second--and maybe a counterargument--but the way to make Americans lose the will to fight often IS to kill a bunch of us. See: Beirut embassy bombing in 83, Somalia in 93 ("Black Hawk Down"), et al.
Our modern will to war is married to our ability to conduct it w/o blood cost. I think Iran is quite happy to hit at the soft support network behind the direct military effort, but if they're able to kill 300 at a stroke, we'll suddenly be having a different national conversation.

2026-05-07 14:13:14 UTC

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@nprofile…nmr0
OK, a few more nuanced thoughts on this.
First, we had doctrine and studies and manuals that made it very clear that the goal was to remove the enemy's ability to fight. The counterinsurgency manual was actually really clear about this. I don't think many people below the rank of lieutenant colonel read it.
It wasn't the kind of war we wanted to fight, so we mostly didn't.

2026-05-07 13:29:20 UTC

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@nprofile…nmr0
Afghanistan Vet Narrator: The US military did not, in fact, fucking learn that in Vietnam.

2026-04-30 12:23:36 UTC

What kind of neighborhood is this? The neighbor told us that Hershey (their chocolate lab) won't seriously bark at you if you come in the back, which is what friends do,
but will freak out full throttle if you come to the front door because only salesmen come to the front door.
(He, of course, non-seriously barks at everyone. We shall be friends. )

2026-04-28 14:17:44 UTC

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@nprofile…4e7w
Nah, it was fine. Occasionally loud, but fine. Neighbor's garbage cans didn't even get knocked over.

2026-04-28 11:25:47 UTC

We don't yet have a proper storm shelter so tornado alarms at 3am mean hanging out as a family in our walk-in closet.
Not ideal, but still a massive improvement over packing up the cats and taking them down two flights of stairs to the apartment lobby to wait it out with neighbors and their excitable dogs.

2026-04-28 00:44:23 UTC

What's your #ProAudio heresy?
Mine:
For music, stereo is perfectly adequate. We don't actually need #Atmos and most people won't listen to their music in an environment where it would be advantageous. I decline to spend any energy, time, or money on enabling myself to mix in it. Keep it in the movie theater where it belongs.

2026-04-27 16:43:45 UTC

So we got taken in by roaming window contractors on Friday. Fortunately, we had until Tuesday to do research, realize the "deal" we were getting was about 180% of a reasonable price, and cancel the contract.
But I am incandescently angry. I do not like being lied to.

2026-04-27 13:31:31 UTC

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@nprofile…nekg
I have nightmares about "making it big." I did all of the travel and seeing the world that I wanted (and more) in the army. I like to sleep in my own bed at a reasonable hour these days.
I want to make it little, i.e. people call me because they're doing a backyard jam and they need a bass player. Or a more ambitious young poor musician needs a bass player who will work for cheap beer because that's what the budget allows. Or people like my music enough to steal it.

2026-04-21 23:26:48 UTC

Drove an hour to Fort Campbell this morning to get IDs for the kids so they may access mil resources, primarily our health care.
I'd not been on a big Army post since retiring in late 2024, only the local Guard armory to get my own retired ID a year and a half ago.
I got saluted by the gate guard. Don't like that at all. (Returned it because that's what you do. My issues ain't his fault.)
I like life much better with the military not involved. I'm glad we did not end up near a base.
#USmil

2026-04-14 14:40:35 UTC

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I moved out front so I would know when the utilities guy showed to turn on our water.
Except for the occasional airplane noise, this is exactly as good as it looks.
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/116/403/577/482/904/699/original/6252a07c65d8fc73.jpg

2026-04-14 14:11:51 UTC

Welp
Basically moved in now
https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/musicianstoday/media_attachments/files/116/403/464/448/047/443/original/4769f2adb6ebeb84.jpg

2026-04-13 12:27:29 UTC

I am psyching myself up to make a phone call to my bank. Wish me luck.

2026-04-11 11:16:09 UTC

At my retirement ceremony in August 2024, I told those present about my list of things I hated about the Army, how I had been compiling it for years against the day that my brain would go soft and I'd start to think that actually the Army was all shine and no mud and the list would remind me of the reality.
I haven't yet needed to refer to that list.
I miss the people and teaching--that's it. The money was nice, but between "Army and big paycheck" and "no Army and pension" it's no contest.

2026-04-09 20:46:42 UTC

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@nprofile…4e7w
If I can simultaneously take digs at other mediocre software that for some reason dominates, I am happy to do so.