New Music

I really want you folks to listen to my music. I want feedback and I want to know that I'm not kidding myself. I've uploaded an industrial piece called IND01 to my MySpace page. Help me out and visit the site, make a comment, tell me that you believe in me!

What I'm Doing

Hello Friends!

Just a fast note to let you know what's up. I'm working on music quite a bit lately, and if you want to hear some of it, go to my MySpace site...the link is up in the title. Otherwise, I'm doing some writing, looking for ways to get out of my job, and, as always, looking for a partner in crime...or organic bed warmer or...well, you know!

Max is doing well. Total sweet-pea! I love him to no ends.

Family is doing okay. Dad's health isn't the greatest, but we do what we can to keep him comfortable and Mom is putting the Saints to shame with her selflessness and love. God, I admire that woman!

Here's a recent picture for all that care. Peace, Happiness and Fulfillment!

Stuart

Leopard Mac OS X (v. 10.5) Review

Okay - last night I stood in line to get a copy of Apple's latest major upgrade to their UNIX based operating system OS X - Leopard. If you're into the numbering game, this is version 10.5 and it's been around 2 years since a major upgrade.

Now, for all of you Windows folks out there who are stunned by Vista, imagine that Mac users have had many of those "wow" gizmos as a part of their computers for the last 24 months, and with the release of Leopard, the icing has been sweetened and any doubts have been put to rest. And before you say "Hey! But you're a Mac user anyway. What do YOU know about computers? You're just a Microsoft hater!" Well, I've been working with computers since 1991, I started on a PC with just DOS, then Windows 3.1, then IBM's OS/2 (which, by the way, is still pretty damn cool) and then, by 1996, I was in the computer biz and still make my major living as a desktop support agent for a hospital that uses primarily Windows XP. I also have experience with Linux, various flavors of UNIX and, believe it or not, just got my first Mac less than a year ago. So, I'm not prejudiced. I'm just amazed.

I'm not going to tell you that it's all good. It's not. My FTP program doesn't work and when I launched Yahoo! Messenger, it automatically shut down. I was able to find a suitable Open Source FTP client that works fine and an update of Yahoo! seems to fix that problem as well. I'm sure that I'll find other applications that have a hard time with the new OS, but for the most part, everything is working fine - and FAST! And because Apple is constantly working to improve they system and upgrades are delivered seamlessly and securely, I really can't complain.

It took about 2 hours for my MacBook Pro with 1.5 Gb of RAM to upgrade to the new software - it really was one stop shopping. What's great is that immediately I was able to be productive again, with printing in place, all of the drivers necessary for smooth work flow were functioning and I was able to take advantage of some of the new totally cool features.

On a Mac, there is an application Dock that usually resides along the bottom of the screen where you can set the icons for your most used programs. You actually do just set them there, like on a shelf. You can ask the Dock to stay put or hide itself when not in use to maximize workspace. You can even stack things up on this shelf - just like stacking magazines you can stack documents or even programs - just put the stuff in a folder and place it on the Dock. When you click on it, you can either see it fan out directly from the stack, or you can have it show up in a grid pattern.

You can also create separate work spaces on the computer so you can have all your web apps on one screen, and all of your office apps on another, and then move between them with a keyboard shortcut or the click of a mouse. Keep your games up and running and switch to your work screen quickly when someone comes into the room. Sweet.

There is also an automatic backup feature that allows the system to take a periodic snapshot of your system, keep a copy of it remotely (like on an external drive) and then you can browse through them like files and choose the right one if you need to get back to an older state on your computer.

And, if you own a freestanding copy of Windows XP or Vista, you can run it right on your Mac.

Now, all of these things have been written about before by folks who are far better at it than me, but here's the dirt - despite some stumbling here and there, this thing works and it works well. I have yet to actually explore some of the finer tweeks to the system and I'm sure I won't experience some of the "under the hood" changes until application developers start integrating them into new applications. But, for now, I'm a happy computing guy and I don't really have to spend a week or so learning how to use the new operating system or downloading replacement drivers or replacing old programs that don't work anymore. No. I got the best that technology has to offer right here on my laptop. And it's one virile cat!

New Project at Scented Shadows

Hey friends! There is a new project started at the brother site of Dangerous Enlightenment, Scented Shadows. Here's the url: http://meta4.blogspot.com/2007/10/new-project.html - clicking on the title will also take you there.

Doing Fine

Sorry that I've neglected to post regarding my health. I've been busy trying to catch up with the world and trying to renegotiate the way I deal with it. Not a particularly easy task.

As it turns out, there is no tumor in my lung - only fungus. The fix as it was presented to me was a bottle of very expensive pills. 60 of them for the price of about $2140. That's one month's worth. The side effects are not particularly fun, but I'm thinking that I may be near the end of the course of the treatment. The prescription allows for another 30 days of meds, but I am hoping that the docs will say I am free to get back to just 4 pills a day. Whatever they say, I go back on the 16th of October for another CT scan of my air sacs to see how things look.

Now, I mentioned above that I'm trying to renegotiate the way I deal with the world. What that really means is that I'm trying to find a new way to support myself. Some way that will pay the bills, give me appropriate health care and offer me a way to spend more than a fraction of the day with a smile on my face. I'm thinking that the answer may be freelancing. Freelance writer, artist, musician, teacher, hobo, bum.

I'd be good, wouldn't I?

So, I'm working that angle and I'll let y'all know how things are going. More regular posts will be coming soon.

a thought from early this morning

Gladly I would trade one vision for another
Until I realized that they were actually the same
And then it would be too late -
But, at least I would know

Doing Well, Not Doing Well

What's been happening in my life? Well, I've been sick. Yes, I've had a bout with some sort of bug that slapped me down for a few days with a 103 fever and a headache from the dark side. And sweating...never thought a human could produce so much water through their pores. Enough fluid to put out a medium sized fire!

I took a trip to the ER where I was poked, prodded, bled, x-rayed, CAT scanned and tapped. Yes, they stuck a spigot in my spine and took some fluid. I'll write a detailed piece on the whole episode later. It was not a good PR experience for the health care system.

A real downside to the visit was that they found a dark spot on my right lung. It's hard to tell, so they say, if it's pneumonia, fungus, tumor or what. The doctor's response? A needle biopsy. That was supposed to happen yesterday, but in the infinite wisdom of the machine of the hospital, no one told me not to eat past midnight the night before, and I was led to believe that I would be able to drive myself home after the procedure. That was so much not the case that it was decided to postpone the biopsy. Now it will happen on Friday and I will meet with my doctors on the next Friday.

In the meantime, I've decided that I no longer can work at my present job. The stress is enough to kill a man and, though I don't really have a plan for making money I have come to the conclusion that there has to be a better, healthier way.

So, today I visit some social service institutions and try to arrange some assistance. If working part time is the way to go, then that's what I'll do. I need to be able to pay my bills and pay off my debts - no small feat - and I need to be able to take care of the Max Monster - the astounding Beagle who shares my life. He's getting older, too, and sometimes his health is not what it could be. I need to make sure he gets the best care that can be afforded when he needs it.

Okay. Enough for now. I will post more when I know more. My spirits are high, though perhaps artificially propped up for the time being. I am scared, but that isn't such a bad thing. I have Max to protect me - right? Right.

Save Internet Radio

I will not, at this time, mount the soap box and preach to you. There should be no need for that. Instead, I offer a web link to a site that might help educate you on an important issue. The question is: Do we, as citizens, want the government to regulate forums of speech, communication and artistic expression using charges and fees that will force individuals and small, inadequately funded organizations off the internet air-waves?

Please, educate yourself on this important issue that needs to be addressed immediately - before the government sweeps it under the rug. Please comment on your thoughts about Internet Radio, copyright laws, fair usage, intellectual property and other related issues!

Save Internet Radio!

Welcome to the New Technology!

Okay. Here's something interesting. This blog is being created using a Widget from the Mac OS X Dashboard - I haven't even had to log into Blogger to get this up and running! Very Cool.

In other news, the DEStudios website will be undergoing a major upgrade in the next few days. Please be patient with me and I promise it will be amazing once it is up and running!

In the meantime, let me thank all of you for visiting and there will be REAL blog and website updates soon!

It's HERE!

Starlight & Darkness
the New Album from
STUART DUMMIT
is now Available!

Well folks! It's done. The album is up on the internet and ready for download. It is available in its entirety at three of the most popular internet music sources: iTunes, eMusic and Rhapsody. And you can download some of the individual tracks from those locations or from my MySpace site.

I want to thank two people specifically for their help in getting this thing off the ground - Jeff Wheeler for his technical and spiritual support, and Eric Letourneau for his encouragement. Couldn't have done it without either of them!

Most of this album was recorded in about a three week period on a Macintosh laptop computer in my apartment in Columbia, Missouri. One track, the long "Fluid Metal" was actually recorded way back in the early 1990s on a Fostex 4 track cassette machine in my apartment in San Francisco. Jeff Wheeler assisted in cleaning up the sound a bit and encouraged me to include it. An edited version of this piece was on my previous album Ecce Homo, which will be re-released later this year.

I hope you folks out in the universe of data packets and electronic impulses will help me out and pay for a download or two. It will go a long way towards getting me out from behind this desk, out of this tie and into my jeans with a guitar in my hands - the way I'm supposed to be!

I've Been Banned

You know that you have arrived when, by merely being who you are, you offend.

A friend of mine who is currently traveling over seas sent me an image today that put an odd smile on my face. Apparently, he tried to access my website while in the Dubai International Airport and the page was blocked.Now, what is interesting is that I examined the captured image that my friend sent me which included the web browser frame and the URL. He wasn't trying to view any of the pictures on the web site - they might contain some questionable images, and that would make sense to block the site if they violated Islamic Law. But, no. The only thing on the web page that he was trying to access was a music file. That is the only thing on the page. And it is instrumental music - no possibility of the lyric being offensive. Go figure.

I suppose the real beauty is that I've told several of my friends so far and all of them have said, "Congratualtions! I'm so proud of you!" I feel...I feel so...so important!

And Then There Was MUSIC

It's happening, folks! I'm working at getting my music out to the world!

My album, Starlight and Darkness is done and soon it will be available on iTunes, eMusic and Rhapsody. With all of its flaws, and it is flawed, I'm really proud of it. It flows nicely and it has some integrity. So much "New Age" music is so synthetic. It sounds so completely programmed and antiseptic that it's difficult to believe that humans made it. That in mind, I found myself not getting too concerned when a glitch shows up here or there, or that the recording isn't always pristine. I'd like to think that there is a "real" sound to the recording.

I've set up a MySpace site for my music - you can preview two of the songs from the album there plus two musical sketches that may show up in some form on a future recording.

While I'm at it, I need to thank two people that mean a lot to me and helped me along in the process - Jeff Wheeler, who helped with re-engineering the track Fluid Metal and also kept me on course. And then there's Andre-Eric Letourneau - the man who steered me toward this project and inspired me. To them and all my other friends, I say Thank You!

Eat This In Remembrance Of Me (...then brush your teeth!)

Do you remember the artist Cosmio Cavallaro? He's the guy that covered a motel room with melted cheese. Not an action that I personally understand or relate to, but that's fine. I can respect without understanding. Well, Mr. Cavallaro has presented the public with a life sized, anatomically accurate sculpture of Jesus, the human manifestation of the Christian deity, also referred to as "the Son of God" and "Jesus Christ," and recognized by Christians as the Messiah prophesied by the ancient Jewish seers. Follow any of the links in this blog to check out the sculpture.

Now, from an aesthetic point of view, I find the "My Sweet Lord" sculpture far more satisfying than cheese covered architecture. The form of the sculpture seems (from the pictures at least) to be quite elegant and is by no means disrespectful. For some reason, though, many are taking offense at the idea that it is made of chocolate.

What? How can people be offended by a representation of Jesus made from a substance that is loved, revered and consumed by so many of us! They say it is disrespectful. And I do not understand that.

So, we get into some art theory here. Mr. Cavallaro seems to have succeeded in getting many slow witted Americans to consider an issue that would have either bored them or zoomed right past them if addressed in a more theoretical way, and that is the impact and validity of conceptual art. An art form that depends on the idea as much as the execution or artifacts that remain after the art has taken place. In this case, it is not the artist's ability to create a likeness or to elicit an emotional response via shape, form, texture, color, but to pull that response from the idea of the materials used to create it.

So, to those who are offended, perhaps it is the idea that there is a depiction of their deity created out of a sweet and desirable treat that, in recent months, has been shown to have positive effects on human health in the form of antioxidants. Sheesh! Talk about hard to please!!!

What really confuses me, though, is the reactions of those interviewed about the sculpture. They were largely offended by the idea that it was made of chocolate, which I've commented on, but many felt it necessary to say to the interviewer that they wouldn't eat any of the chocolate.

The wouldn't eat the chocolate. Hmmm... Now, I know that from time to time, when looking at a painting by Renoir that I am tempted to go up and lick the surface because his reds look like cherry and strawberry candy and the greens and blues are most definitely spearmint and peppermint, but this is something completely different. These are people who worship a god that manifested itself as a human male, who was said to have lived as a human with all of the ups and downs, but maintained his divinity and, through some machination of logic determined that his own death would "atone for the sins of mankind."

Yikes.

What is more is that he, before he arranged his own arrest, for which, by the way, his associate, assistant and confidant was, until recently, blamed for betrayal and marked as a traitor rather than the faithful and strong servant that he was; this Jesus Christ, before he was taken away to be executed, he instituted a ritual, a sacrament, if you will, of symbolic cannibalism. He broke bread and told his followers that it was his body. He passed a cup of wine and told them that it was his blood. He told them to eat and drink in order to remember him. Some of the Christian sects out there actually believe in this thing called transubstantiation - this notion that after the bread and wine are blessed by the appropriate holy man, the bread actually turns into flesh and the wine actually turns into blood. And these Christians consume it. They eat their God! Except, of course, when their God is represented in chocolaty sweet goodness.

This is just insane.

So, I tip my hat to you, Cosimo Cavallaro! You've ruffled some feathers, sure, but you've focused some attention on our human foibles - and that is commendable.

....and then there is the giant Barack Obama Jesus with the neon halo.....


CNN Article
CNBC Article

Change Is The Only Thing That Doesn't

So much going on these days, and I suppose that is a very good thing.

I met a guy online a few weeks ago. I do that quite a bit as some of you may know. And, yes, he's attractive, plays the same side o' the fence as I do and he's an artist and musician - and not your garden variety, either. No, he's higher class.

Oh yes, and he's French Canadian.

Well, the point is that we seem to like one another and that gives me a huge lift, but he also challenged me to produce an album's worth of musical material within a 2 to 3 week period. It needed to be "relaxation music." Why such specifics? That's fodder for another blog, so let me continue:

I took the challenge and here, at the end of two and half weeks, I've got an album's worth of music which will be released in cyberspace in either late May or early June on iTunes, E-Music and Rhapsody. The title of the album is "Starlight and Darkness" and it is, for want of a better method of describing it, a suite of ambient pieces that describe an evening, from the gloaming of the day, through the fall of night, the emergence of the stars, the transportation of awareness to the space between reality and dreams and the eventual return of daylight.

There are problems with the recording, I will not lie. It was, for the most part recorded on my Mac with tools that are not necessarily up to professional standards, but that's okay. It still sounds pretty good. Damn good in fact!

The first "single" is my arrangement of "Shenandoah" which is subtitled "Daughter of the Stars." It was played on a local community radio station the other night. I can't believe how scared I was when I found out! But it sounded fine.

You can listen to that radio station, by the way, on the internet! Just go to the KOPN home page and click on the appropriate link!

What now, you might ask? Well, the Canadian artist and I will meet at the end of April and see what happens there. No matter what happens, I've found someone that understands where I'm coming from artistically and we will no doubt collaborate on some projects. Also, after having made an album of low key ambient music I feel it's time to make a leading edge psychotopunk record. Something that might even be difficult to listen to....three......fore..........

What do you mean "You can dance to it?"

A O I O on MySpace

A friend of mine was listening to the music of my band, AOIO, the other day and he kept shaking his head.

"I just don't get it, Stuart. There's no melody, no drums, no pop hooks - how can you call this music?"

All I could say was, "at least you can dance to it!"

He looked at me with a dubious eye, as though I had just called the Pope "a conservative German Papist with expensive red Prada loafers and a Papal iPod" and said, "What do you mean 'You can dance to it?' There's absolutely NOTHING danceable about that stuff!"

Without missing a beat I responded, "It's because you're only using two legs to dance. Everyone knows that guys dance better when they use all three legs!"

Become a friend of A O I O and learn to dance on all three legs!

A O I O on MySpace

Changes - Part II

Here's a real hoot for you: I just bought a Macintosh computer. Yup, I'm writing this entry on my new MacBook Pro laptop. OS X, 2 GHz Intel Dual Core processor, 1.5 Gb RAM, 60 Gb hard drive and a 15.3" widescreen display. And I'm in love.

I'd worked with Macs before, oh, about 10 years ago or so, back in the PowerPC days. I was working as a computer sales person and I volunteered to be the resident Mac guy. I learned a bit here and there, but essentially I remained a PC addict. Perhaps because so much of what I needed to do on a computer involved using PCs in the workplace. When I started working for the hospital, I discovered a culture of Macintosh Intolerance. And, even thought I never wholly bought into the prejudice, I allowed its effects to survive.

Lately, though, I've come to realize that none of my Windows based PCs has lasted more than 2 years. Some essential component always seems to fail. And the OS just doesn't have the kind of robustness that I would expect after so many years of development. I needed, I wanted, to try something different. And then these babies went on sale.

I suppose the most surprising thing to me is how incredibly powerful both the hardware and the software are. The bundled software is amazing and the OS itself is about as rock solid as they come - it is UNIX after all. I still have tons to learn about this beast, but it's fun again. And having fun is a very important thing for me.

NOTE: If there are any Mac folks out there that can help me with loading the X windows interface (X11 as it is called) I would appreciate it. I keep getting the message that it cannot be installed because newer software is currently installed on the volume [and it's not] - I've done some searching and found that others have run into the same problem, but no one has posted a fix.

Wow....what an adventure. (now THAT is a bit sad - my adventures are taking place from behind a keyboard!)

Changes

It seems that change is in the air. Change is good, isn't it?

I haven't posted anything in quite a while, not because I haven't had anything to say, but because the shifts from one perspective to another happen so quickly that it resembles trying to navigate a fun house after a few drinks. The floor seems to slide and invert beneath me and the angle of the walls refuse to stay the same. But, this morning, I'll do my best to update everyone on the situations as they are understood by me.

Apartment living certainly has its advantages and, after the recent 15" snowfall I am altogether glad that I didn't have to worry about the roof caving in or any of that old home-owner stuff. Still, the impermanence of renting weighs on me from time to time. What should happen if.... Yes, the unknown can assault us from many different angles.

Max is doing better. His leg seems all but healed and he even runs around and does his trademark Max Butt Wiggle when he sees friends and family. Watching him closely though, reveals that the leg is not set quite right, or isn't quite as strong, or something to that effect. But maybe it is just age. He's somewhere between 7 and 8 years old now and time does take its toll, n'est pas? I guess that it's at this point that I comment on how the difference in life span between a human and a canine can offer the biped a certain unique perspective on existence. I watch Max, his puppy-ness, his young adulthood, now his waning middle age, and realize that in him I can become familiar with a cycle of life seen from an uncomfortable distance. I didn't know Max when he was born, but we came together when he was only a year or so old - still with his puppy mindset in tact. I will most likely outlive him and, if I have working braincells at that time, I imagine that I will be able to see his life as a whole and, because I am who and what I am, I will analyze it, consider it, and take it into me. The bundle of memories that I retain will be labeled as "Max's Life."

It is the condensation of the existence of another into a package. Maybe it is the way we cope, by objectifying. I would hope I would be able to maintain a little more compassion. (I originally wrote the word humanity, but upon a quick second thought, I realized that it is most likely very human to reduce a life into a bundle that can be tossed around....) I'm not sure where I'm going here...maybe you do.

It has been a year now since Sheila died. It has become more difficult rather than easier as the river continues to flow. Instead of time healing these wounds, the friction keeps the lesions open and the impurities of the passing torrents infect and irritate the scarred flesh. I still have moments when I think to myself "I need to tell Sheila about this," or "I wonder if Sheila still has a copy of that...." And each time something like this happens, the renting of my flesh becomes more tender, bleeds a bit more, and I come closer to being able to cry the big cry.

More Than This

It has been far too long since I've written anything and, I'm afraid, I don't have the time nor the brain power to present anything particularly interesting for you to devour. So, I'll provide a quick update and then get on with the business of staying afloat.

The music is doing well. I'm actually practicing with three bands currently - D4, a C3 cover band that will be playing at the Halloween masque being produced by Lizzie West, and then we've been asked to play backup along with White Buffalo, Lizzie's band, for the same show - that's two different bands there, and then there is A O I O - my band with percussionist/keyboardist Jeff Wheeler. Now that's the juicy stuff! We're hoping to have a single released fairly soon to whet the public's whistle.

Some of you may have heard that Max, the Wonder Beagle, was injured right before Labor Day - he's doing much better now. The cold weather, I am afraid, might prove an irritant to his injured leg - it was chilly the other morning when we went for a walk and he limped far more than he has in the last week or so. We've gotten my old electric hot pad out and we'll see if he takes advantage of the theraputic nap-space.

And for all of you interested parties, I am still officially single and looking for Mr. Right. So, get those applications in while there's still time!

Things to look forward to in the coming months -

Launch of the A O I O web presence -

PerkinsWood has completed recording the sound track to a documentary about Elvis Impersonators - it's getting quite the buzz, so keep your eyes and ears open!

Lizzie West and company are producing a Halloween Ball/Masque in Columbia, Missouri, on October 28. It promises to be an interesting experience!

So...in case you would like some extra info, check out these sites:

Official C3 Web Site

Official PerkinsWood Website

Official Lizzie West and White Buffalo website

More to come - and soon....I PROMISE!

Sounds - Images - Words

It takes quite a bit of concentration for me to work this process of defining myself as an artist that works in various media. Sometimes I have a hard time distinguishing between my picture making and my music making and at other times the two seem so very different that I think of myself as two very different people doing very different things. I think that is why in my earlier days I took on the term "Split Brain Syndrome" as a performance name. Maybe it still applies.

I have recently started collecting musical instruments again and started playing a lot more. I have all sorts of musical ideas and I even am thinking about rerecording some old music and doing some arrangements of Christmas songs to perform in churches come the holiday season. I really like the idea of playing in both churches and bars...what's the saying? Different strokes for different folks?

And then there is the writing. I love to write and some of what I've written is very good - some, not so good. Still, I love doing it and it is worth putting out there. Oddly enough, I find that it is the one thing that is always there for me, whether I'm spending time making sounds or making pictures. Perhaps it is true about language being the thing that ties it all together.

Soooo...it's time for new business cards. Gonna have to make a new design and advertise as an artist. I'll even put my new Mobile Phone Number on that sucker - And I NEVER thought I'd have one of those blasted things, but I suppose if I want to be contacted I need to make it easy.

sigh

Sound

Although I love music, I may have to admit that it is actually sound that has my attention. I love sound. I love making sound - sound that is organized, sound that isn't organized. Layers of sound: refined and planned, raw and random. Sound that comforts. Sound that threatens.

I got the guitar and I got the effects bay and now I want to get a looping station and the guitar synthesizer unit. I know that this represents a lot of money, but I find that I want the tools to realize some of the things that happen in my head - and I want to subject the world outside of my head to that which goes on within.

And the sound - does the sound have the ablility to transform me? Will producing these noises, these vibrations, these patterns - will they change how I see myself and/or how others see me? Can what one hears alter what one sees? Is this societal synesthesia?

I see what you're saying.

I hear where you're coming from.