Monthly Archives: December 2012

Bent or Broken

Posted on December 26, 2012 by midiguru

Tonight, at a party, I found myself commenting to a friend that most of the people who are making microtonal music just aren’t very good. In many cases, they seem to have latched onto microtonal composing as a handy cover … Continue reading →

Posted in microtonal, music | 15 Comments

Is That a Piano?

Posted on December 24, 2012 by midiguru

I’m pretty sure you won’t know quite what to make of this. (I’m not sure I know what to make of it.) But I think a good way to approach it may be to listen first and then read about … Continue reading →

Posted in microtonal, music | 1 Comment

Season’s Greetings

Posted on December 23, 2012 by midiguru

One of my Facebook friends posted a beautiful rendition of “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” for harp and oboe (probably sampled, but done with great care). My beady little brain said, “Heck, why not?” So here’s my take on the … Continue reading →

Posted in microtonal, music | 2 Comments

Tyrant-Be-Gone

Posted on December 23, 2012 by midiguru

It appears we’re going to engage in some sort of impassioned public debate about the possession of firearms. This debate, while unlikely to change anything, is long overdue. One of the talking points trotted out by the gun huggers is … Continue reading →

Posted in politics, society & culture | 8 Comments

Maybe Next Year

Posted on December 20, 2012 by midiguru

I cringed when I saw the cover of the new issue of Scientific American. Trying to predict what technology will be like 50, 100, 0r 150 years in the future is a parlor game, not a serious intellectual exercise. To understand … Continue reading →

Posted in science fiction, technology, writing | 12 Comments

Loose Ends

Posted on December 19, 2012 by midiguru

Another day, another book review. I was up until 2:00 this morning finishing Breakdown, the new V. I. Warshawski mystery by Sara Paretsky. I like Paretsky a lot. She writes well, and also she kind of wears it on her … Continue reading →

Posted in fiction, writing | Leave a comment

Devils & Details

Posted on December 18, 2012 by midiguru

Tad Williams is a terrific storyteller. I’ve enjoyed a couple of his fantasy novels, so when I saw The Dirty Streets of Heaven on the new-and-interesting table at the library, I checked it out. I devoured it immediately. Reached the … Continue reading →

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All Mixed Up

Posted on December 13, 2012 by midiguru

How many of you have heard of Maxwell’s demon? Raise your hand? Okay, that’s what I thought. We’ll start with a little explanation. The Second Law of Thermodynamics tells us, basically, that things fall apart. Any physical system tends to … Continue reading →

Posted in random musings | Leave a comment

Drenched in Mystery

Posted on December 9, 2012 by midiguru

The universe is a very strange place. The more we learn about it, the more clearly we see that strangeness is woven so deeply into its fabric as to be … well, transcendent. The invention of the microscope led to … Continue reading →

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Music Theory Meets Geometry

Posted on December 3, 2012 by midiguru

The theory of harmony that serves to organize most of the music of Europe and America (and increasingly of the rest of the world) is built on a couple of basic assumptions — axioms, if you will. First, there are … Continue reading →

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