Free Long Distance

I know some will scoff and say this is old news, but I've just discovered Skype. I'd been told about ways to call people long distance for free over the internet, but I figured it would be complicated or require a really fast connection. Not so on either count! Just download the free software from the website, install it, and you're ready! You do need speakers and a microphone as well. I bought a microphone for $17.99 and it works great. And as for internet connection speed, I have ultra light DSL (128 kbps). The call quality isn't as good as a normal phone, but it's not bad.

Real Music 3

More time with Metheny Mehldau. These guys are geniuses. The album continues to grow on me. Track 10! Wow. Simple and beautiful to start and end, but something else entirely in the middle.

Real Music 2

I've spent the morning listening to the Metheny Mehldau album. I picked it up a week ago, and until now had only listened to it briefly in the car on the way home from the store. Those first impressions weren't great, but as with so many albums before it's growing on me in a big way as I give it its due attention. That's another thing about real music. You might not like it at first. Also, if you're not fully listening you'll miss the subtlety that makes it great.

It's a weird way to rate music, but I've been working as I've listened this morning and I've gotten a lot done. Good album.

Real Music

I love music. Real music.

When someone spends days, months, years with an instrument it becomes a part of them. The immensely complex processes linking thought to sound wave cease to be a barrier. The music just flows. It's tempting for amateur musicians (author is guilty as charged) to consider practice something that untalented people do. It's a badge of honour to say "Yeah, I just went up there and sight-read that whole thing," or "I was completely making that part up." True, it's great to have that ability, but without practice there is no improvement. Practice seems to go against spontaneity, but in truth it is the only way to spontaneity. And music is very unforgiving. A few wrong notes can sour a whole performance.

But time with an instrument isn't enough. There must be a source. That source can be external. Many talented musicians make their living interpreting the music of others. But when someone is blessed with a rich, creative, internal source and they've taken the time to master an instrument, that is something very special indeed. Real music.

Two such artists are Pat Metheny (guitar) and Brad Mehldau (piano). Metheny's Song for the Boys from the album One Quiet Night is a song I can listen to over and over. How does he push so much energy through an acoustic guitar? Mehldau is remarkable for his improvisation. I'm pretty sure he has two brains, one for each hand. One almost needs two brains to listen to him.

I have just become aware that these two have released a new album together. What will that sound like? I'm about to find out.

A Haiku In Lament of a Postless Summer

Five month hiatus
Whole season with no entries
Despicable stuff

Identity Theft

Google is taking over the world. But it sure is useful. That's gotta count for something.

I just Googled my name, and the results were quite interesting. I'm feeling a lot less unique right now.

1. Darren Hoffman - A designer in the field of brand communications. His work looks very good.
2. Darren Hoffman - A 'Miscellaneous' movie crew guy. Haven't heard of any of the movies.
3. Darren Hoffman - Some sort of acne expert.
4. Darren Hoffman - Don't know much about him, but he sure loves geneology! (maybe we're related)
5. Darren Hoffman - Communications Director for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
6. Darren Hoffman - Soil Conservationist (Pest Management) at the Ralls County Field Office of the US Department of Agriculture

Having finally realized that this is probably interesting to no one but me, I'll stop there. Maybe you could try Googling your own name. It might be more interesting.

A Strange Success

Having heard several references over the years to The Christian Science Monitor as a legitimate news source, I did some digging. The CBC regularly interviews on-the-ground CSM reporters as if they were from CNN, CBS, or what have you. I am not a Christian Scientist (I am, however, a Christian engineer), and am not seeking to promote or attack Christian Science in this post, but I find the success of this publication very odd and encouraging all at once.

First, I expect that - like me - most people would be skeptical about reading a newspaper with this title. Aside from reading out of curiosity, I can't see many people choosing The Christian Science Monitor over say, The Globe and Mail or any other mainstream paper. I'm not looking to view my news through the lens of Christian Science, and if the paper isn't slanted in that direction then why imply it in the very title?

But then again, what do titles like The Toronto Star or The New York Times tell me about their paper's history or bias? If I was trying to take over the world through subtle suggestions in a biased newspaper, I wouldn't call it The Brainwasher. Maybe the CSM's straightforward title should give me more assurance of honest reporting within.

The CSM was born out of protest to bad journalism. Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, had a run-in with Joseph Pulitzer, a newspaper publisher who thought she was a quack. She launched the CSM shortly thereafter, and ironically it has since won seven Pulitzer Prizes.

From the CSM website:

In an age of corporate conglomerates dominating news media, the Monitor combination of church ownership, a public-service mission, and commitment to covering the world (not to mention the fact that it was founded by a woman shortly after the turn of the century, when US women didn't yet have the vote!) gives the paper a uniquely independent voice in journalism.

Unlike most US dailies, the Monitor does not rely primarily on wire services, like AP and Reuters, for its international coverage. We have writers based in 11 countries, including Russia, China, France, the UK, Kenya, Mexico, Israel and India, as well as throughout the US.

I can't think of an unlikelier success story. That's the encouraging part. Unlikely success stories are always encouraging on some level. I disagree with the teachings of Christian Science, but should that stop me from trying out their newspaper? I think not.