Disqus - Latest Comments for rubken

Re: Don’t Study Composition (yet)

rubken — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 18:12:51 -0000

Well found Arun. A pitcher or two at The Marlin would be lovely. I wonder if it still exists.

Re: Practice Page #1

rubken — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 08:11:24 -0000

How about constructing a chord using two adjacent notes as a series? For example starting in the top LH corner, A6 (A and F#), F# (F# and Db/C#), Db min, Edim, etc.

You could then iterate this into three note groups, A6 (A, F# and C#), F#7 (F#, C# and E), E half diminished 7 (Db, E and Bb), etc.

You can run the grid in all possible directions to get more variation, and you could even try treating them as a progression.

Re: How do UNSUBSCRIBE from a particular thr... | DISQUS

rubken — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 12:18:22 -0000

Hi Daniel,
Thank you for your reply. It's just the one thread I want to unsubscribe from. I want all my other notifications to remain live, so modifying the notification settings doesn't work for me.

I'm using Gmail, which may be the issue. When I tried to reply with "unsubscribe" some html tags were visible in the comment that got posted.

Re: How do UNSUBSCRIBE from a particular thr... | DISQUS

rubken — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 10:01:06 -0000

Having the same issue. The email notifications said to reply to the mail with unsubscribe. This only succeeded in posting a comment via email exposing my email ID to the whole thread. Clear instructions would be good. It would be a shame to have to turn off notifications entirely.

Re: Clever+license+plates+that+will+cure+road+rage+%2841+photos%29

rubken — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 09:08:37 -0000

Yes, it's cutting edge humour.

Re: How to Find Hope When You are Really Depressed

rubken — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 06:45:02 -0000

Well said. I assume the article and title are just linkbait but even for someone suffering from mild depression this article is potentially very damaging indeed.

Re: Mid/Side stereo, a great tool for home recording

rubken — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 07:50:22 -0000

Perhaps I expressed myself poorly. The cardioid and the figure of 8 make two mics. Three of a perfect pair would be a King Crimson album.

Sorry to cause any confusion and thank you for taking the time to make things clear.

Re: 3 Developments that are Sabotaging the Social Media Movement

rubken — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 04:33:13 -0000

Thanks for this post. You are articulating some very real problems in business use of social media. The 3 habits sabotaging the social movement really ring true.

I feel that we're in a sort of trough for social media use at the moment due to the fact that the C-suite has woken up to the potential of being in the space but they want/need it to be simple and its metrics to be simple. Particularly when outsourcing social work simplistic irrelevant targets are set just because of the compulsion to measure.

Getting out of the trough is going to be tough I fear. There is real potential for social business but cultural change at the level required is not easy to create.

Re: Happiness Metrics: Your Feelings as Big Data

rubken — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:47:30 -0000

I hope they persist with this and improve the methods of data input to the system. The idea that GDP is a measure of the wellbeing of people has always been nonsense and now more and more financial indicators are being rammed down my throat.

It will be very interesting to see how the data correlates with financial metrics and the project moves forward.

Re: Chords from another planet

rubken — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:22:04 -0000

From the pop idiom I love the harmony and melody of "In My Room" from the Beach Boys' Surfer Girl album.

After setting us up with a pop cliche I vi ii V intro the verse starts by sitting on the tonic for a whole four bar phrase while the melody climbs the triad. The fifth bar is tonic also with the fifth in the melody, but then comes a lovely surprise a bVIImaj7 chord with the major 7 in the melody. This resolves back to tonic.

The bVIImaj7 feels surprising, I think largely due to the maj7th, but it also fits in a pretty traditional pop song as the only non-diatonic note in the chord is the root and the maj7th in the melody adds a much more progressive feel to the harmony than would be normal for this kind of song.

Re: Chords from another planet

rubken — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:22:04 -0000

From the pop idiom I love the harmony and melody of "In My Room" from the Beach Boys' Surfer Girl album.

Re: How to work on your sight-reading

rubken — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:42:54 -0000

It's amazing how many people do stop. Playing along with a recording is a great idea.

Not stopping is the key though. Don't be scared to slow the metronome right down if that's what it takes to get through. Also keep changing what music you are trying to read. Remember you're trying to learn a process not a piece of music.

For string instruments visualising the scale of the piece's main key before you start playing is useful. When that comes easily try to visualise with the tonic and dominants highlighted. Scan the music and look for places to shift position too.

Re: How to work on your sight-reading

rubken — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:42:54 -0000

It's amazing how many people do stop. Playing along with a recording is a great idea.

Re: http://notinmyscope.com/post/6281512276

rubken — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 10:20:27 -0000

Perhaps it's not that simple. The thing for me is so much Apple stuff just works well. Their control freakery helps them do that. If you control the hardware and the operating system you can make things work well.

If they could just relax their grip a little it would be great.

You're right about MobileMe that was awful. They've had their share of failures in the past that's for sure.

Re: http://notinmyscope.com/post/6281512276

rubken — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 09:58:05 -0000

Apple have always been about control. Remember that disreputable toolkit you had to buy to open up the original Macs if you wanted to add RAM?

That said, I think Google are playing a longer game for similar ends. It's just they're playing Go and Apple are playing Risk.

Re: Boston Build Up 20k: good race, cold legs.

rubken — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:30:03 -0000

I may be overcomplicating things but with the course profiles I would think about adjusting the pace to take the profile into account.

For instance on the Boston course you've got a bit of an incline to tackle from 26.5k to 34k. It's not much of a climb but it's long and at a tough point in the race. So if you were planning on a 7:30 pace overall you might expect to run 10% slower (or 8:15) for that section.

You would hope to make up that time on downhill sections. That may well be different running than cycling though. For me the point in getting into detail on pace predictions is to avoid disappointment in the hard parts and to avoid over-stressing your body trying to make unrealistic intermediate targets.

Perhaps having projections for 5k sections of the race would make this easier. I may be becoming bossy and boring but I am interested in this stuff probably because it combines maths, sport and suffering into a particular kind of geekery. I am as ever in awe of your endeavour.

Re: Boston Build Up 20k: good race, cold legs.

rubken — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:59:42 -0000

Congratulations on your run. Well done indeed on running to (almost exactly) your target time.

Do you get course profiles before the races? I guess you could use MapMyRun to generate them if not and then you could take those into account with your schedule. 7:32 up that novel in waiting at mile10 could have been absorbed in the plan and saved you some worry perhaps. Maybe some of the folks passing you in the middle of the race were pushing in advance of the mile 10 hill?

Do you ever use embrocation to warm your legs? I used it quite often when cycling. The smell was awful but it helped to stay warm and the process of massaging it into your legs is a good way to check for tight spots. Just remember to wash your hands after application (and before wiping your eyes or going to the bathroom).

Re: U.K. Police Will Use Twitter to React to Protestors

rubken — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 14:08:39 -0000

I fear this is largely in reaction to this, http://www.guardian.co.uk/u.... I suspect the aim of the UK police is to be able to effectively detain people in the streets to punish their dissent. The anti-kettling initiative was very successful and frustrating for the police. That combined with the use of YouTube to quickly distribute video of them charging peaceful crowds with horses has been an embarrassment.

Re: RunningGreg’s Treadmill Technique

rubken — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 09:52:26 -0000

Wind trainers are pretty boring and you're right it's not so easy to watch TV. You can listen to music without headphones though which helps a bit.

The advantage is that you can effectively judge your effort so it's great for fitness tests and masochistic interval sessions. You don't have as many bells and whistles as a treadmill but you can do a lot with gear ratios and cadence rates.

Re: RunningGreg’s Treadmill Technique

rubken — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 15:32:05 -0000

The increased sweating could be due to less evaporation as there's no breeze flowing over you as you run. I used to train on a cycling wind trainer and overheating could be a big problem. Pointing a fan or two at you helps a lot.

Glad to hear you're finding ways to keep running.

Re: Ben Goldacre: bad science kills

rubken — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 02:38:06 -0000

To speak up for Mr Goldacre he is a frequent and passionate critic of pharmaceutical companies also. The badscience column in the Guardian started out debunking the use of science to confuse people into following agendas. The alternative health work has become so big because of the litigious nature of some of its practitioners.

Re: Being a professional indie musician isn’t for everyone: Lessons from Charles Ives and Shellac

rubken — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 07:32:53 -0000

You're spot on that time available is the big practical problem to earning your income outside music. The main advantage is the artistic independence you can gain. Different paths are right for different people and I think the most important thing is to be aware that there is more than one way to be a great musician.

Re: Magazine That Stole Blogger’s Article to Fold [REPORT]

rubken — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 04:28:18 -0000

I think the value in this whole sorry episode is in discussions like this comment thread. Cooks Source is a catalyst to thinking about the issues of copyright, attribution and fair use on the internet. The outrage that was sparked, mostly by the condescending email from Ms Griggs, is in large part about the principle rather than the specific violations.

To a large extent the world of publishing creative content on the internet runs on good faith. The volume of data is massive and it's not possible to catch every violation so when one is picked up and further inflamed it is annoying.

The point is it could have been lots of people on both sides of the equation. At least the issue is getting a good airing.

Re: Magazine That Stole Blogger’s Article to Fold [REPORT]

rubken — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 06:46:38 -0000

I think you may have nailed it Monica. With over 160 documented instances of duplicated articles they could be exposed to significant liabilities.

Re: 'Cooks Source' Update: Magazine (Sort Of) Issues Weirdest Semi-Apology Ever

rubken — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 10:26:01 -0000

They are trying, ineptly, to sidestep the endemic article duplication and that is infuriating. 161 duplicated articles stretching back to Nov 2009. This isn't about a single article and while you might pass the responsibility for a couple of instances of copyright violation to "writers" for this volume of errors there should be some kind of editorial oversight.

It would be interesting to know more about the size of the Cooks Source "team", but I don't suppose they will be forthcoming on that. I wonder if any of the authors of the duplicated articles will seek redress? The list of articles can be found here, http://bit.ly/dDoxxP