Issue #965
Including:

From Russ

The Ontarion

Hey There,

It’s a good thing I’m immersed in getting my CD ready because there isn’t much else to talk about this week and as you know, I’m just doing the finishing touches for this year’s CD. Between the lock-down and the rain, there’s not much happening these days. It (the DC, not the rain) should be in the mail sometime in the coming week for those who want one. Some background…. The process of making a CD is both easy and hard. Firstly, I have to come up with a bunch of songs, and thats one of the hardest parts. That’s what I worked on all year and each of those songs were linked in these letters as they became available. Each song had to be sung and played, one track at a time because face it, there is only one of me. Each song had to be mixed and refined until it was as good as I’m capable of getting it. Keep in mind, each song is ‘real’. Nothing in these recordings is fabricated or simulated, everything can be reproduced ‘live’. And yes, I use a metronome to keep time when doing audio recordings. Perhaps I should also point out that the most involved part of doing a recording is actually designing the arrangement of the song. You need to create a road map of how it will be, where it needs to go, and how to get there, while staying within your own capabilities. Then I use iTunes to create a ‘playlist’ that can be burned onto CDs. The burning part is easy but a bit time consuming. I then have to put together and print off the jacket information etc. Mailing them out is just like mailing anything out. Getting CDRs (writeable CDs) can be tricky. They are not as common as they used to be so whenever I spot a pack of 50 in the local electronic store I pick one up. They are not all that common anymore because most people now use USB sticks or iPods for everything and CD players are becoming rather rare. Every car used to have one, now all the new ones don’t, they have a USB port. Go figure. But that’s not my problem and I’ll be darned if I’m going to spring for a bunch of USB sticks to hand out. Getting those clear plastic CD cases is pretty well impossible so I now must use paper jackets.

Getting back to creating a CD, this is something many of you could do. It’s the kind of hobby that takes up time but is quite rewarding, and you can leave it for weeks at a time and come back to it when you want. You start off by recording one song at a time, over as much time as you need. (Heads up, you need a quiet house for that part of the process). Computers make perfect recording machines, and the only piece of computer hardware that most don’t have is an external sound card/recording interface. Most computers already have the necessary audio software but their internal sound cards don’t permit hearing the input in real time. It’s necessary to hear what you are inputting and at the same time hear what you have already input. As well, a mic and headphones are required, obviously. Garage Band is a very popular recording program and easy to use, and there are many others as well. I’m using Logic Pro which is the ‘full’ version of Garage Band, I think but in a lot of ways, the simpler the better. When you have a bunch of numbers that you are satisfied with, and each number is sitting in iTunes or something similar, you just burn your CD and amaze your friends and family with your creativity. Cool, huh? Or, when this pandemic is over, come on out here and we’ll put something together.

Fittingly, for this weeks musical distraction, I’ve linked the last song I’ve put together for the CD that is imminent to be sent out to all of you who have expressed an interest in receiving one. This song, called ‘Long My You Run’ was written decades ago by Niel Young. It turned out to be a lot more difficult and involved than I figured when I went to arrange and record it but perseverance and determination got me through. Like all the songs I record, the reward is in the doing. It’s very satisfying to see and hear a song as it comes together with various instruments and voices. Mixing can take as long as the recording process. Mixing is where one listens over and over, making adjustments to volume and tone and pan levels as one tries to get the best balance and blend. Then, the final result is what you get. It’s what I can give. It’s what I love doing. So, enjoy.

Long May You Run
(the audio recording)

And as a last minute input bonus, I’ve done a quick and dirty video of this song for anyone who needs closure :) It’s obviously the bare bones, just me and my guitar type of thing I’ve been posting these last months as a diversion from life’s inconveniences. For better or worse, it’s basically what it would be like of you were sitting in my living room as I played it, which is what all these little videos have been.

Long May You Run
(the video)

doug

****

From Russ

Momma & baby bear.

She hadn’t found food for weeks and was desperate to save her boy-cub. The wind changed direction and she picked up the unmistakeable aroma of fried bacon. She was so excited she ran too fast for her little two-year old son.

“Momma! Momma! I can’t see you! Where are you?!” Hearing his plaintiff cries, she waited impatiently for him to catch up.

“We have got to hurry or we will not get any of that delicious grease they put outside in the big dumpster!” she urged, as they continued toward the airline terminal. They were in sight of the food they craved, but had to go out of their way to find the opening in the fence which surrounded the airfield.

“Ah! Here we are!” but we must be very, very, careful as the big, noisy, flying things come and go extremely fast. With her keen sense of hearing, she mistakenly thought she heard one that had taken off – but in truth, one was approaching!

“Let’s go!” shouted momma bear, and they headed out across the runways making a beeline straight for the restaurant smell.

The Yakutat Airport Wildlife Management use pyrotechnics and vehicles to drive animals away from the field, yet moose and wolves often enter the field because the property is only partially fenced.

“Final approach to Yakutat, Alaska, please remain seated with your seat-belts fastened until the aircraft is stopped at the terminal” announces the captain in a board monotone. Bump! Bump! and the Alaska Airline Boeing 737-800 is on the ground. Some passengers immediately unfasten their seatbelts and begin pulling their luggage down from above – some heavy stuff falls upon those still remained seated, and the passengers begin to argue, shout, and some pushing takes place, but not-to-worry, everyone is just keyed-up and anxious to get off for a pee.

“WHERE IN HELL DID THEY COME FROM?” shouts the captain as they see the bears directly in front of them. Impossible to avoid hitting them –

“Thud” A mild bump is felt by all aboard, but nobody cares.

“We unavoidably hit a brown bear – get somebody to pick up the carcass and clear the runway” announces the captain dryly. “Funny, we often see Moose and Wolves on the runways, but this is my first Brown Bear” he says with a sort-of-smile.

“What a mess! Guts, shit and fur smeared 40 feet along the tarmac”, well get out the shovels and pick up what’s left of the carcass, and get-the-hell-out of here before we’re next!” say the foreman of the ‘ground crew’.

“Hey look! there’s a cub out there – unhurt – I’m calling wildlife to rescue it before it gets the same as it’s mom”.

The ‘accident’ leaves the Boeing with minor damage to the under-side of the left engine cowling, and it will be out of service for a few days – but, what about the two-year-old cub?

“I want my mommy!” cries the little guy as he sits in a cage in an ‘animal rehab’ station somewhere in Southern Alaska.

Young bears are completely dependent on their mothers until weened, and their cries are not different from those of a human baby. It is pitiful to hear.

“Where’s my mommy? Why am I locked up? I did nothing wrong” he laments. And there we leave baby brown bear, alone, orphaned, and seemingly forgotten.

Uncle Russ.

****

THE ONTARION REPORT

Hello everyone!

This past week has brought a change in the weather a couple of times and we’re in for a lot more of the not so nice kind!

They are saying now that our coming winter is going to be a heavy snowfall type akin to the old fashioned winters of the 60’s! I guess my Old TORO will be in for a workout again! With the sun shining and the temperature warm on Friday I was reluctant to put the MG away for the coming winter but just had to do it anyway, like it or not! LOL! Oh well, it was time also to make room for the Jeep in the garage once again. After a summer of working on other things in the Jeep space it was time for a cleaning. Same thing happens every year at this time. We’ve managed to put up all the Christmas Decorations this past week and as usual, Carole’s decorating ideas look spectacular once again! Good thing we have the Hydro right of way out back so I can raid the pine and spruce trees for a selection of branches and bows with which Carole can make her decorations for the window boxes etc. Things are looking quite Christmasy (if that’s a word?) around here now! We even have most of our shopping done too! With Carole’s birthday on December 11th, I’ve always got loads of shopping to do this time of year!

It’s not the same as usual with the Covid putting the damper on things and restricting our movements in and around the stores and malls this year. Thank goodness the drug companies are getting closer and closer to finding a viable vaccine to combat this terrible virus! Let’s keep our fingers crossed for an early cure! I still cant believe there are people out there that resist wearing a mask to help prevent the spread of this virus! Do they not understand that this virus is real and all the government is trying to do is stop the spread of it for the safety of the Canadian people? What a bunch of selfish morons they are to be holding demonstrations against something that is only designed for their health and welfare! There was on the news today a story about a group of Torontonians who knew they were infected and attended a wedding with a large gathering of people anyway! Now the health department has to track down every other member of that gathering to make sure they all get tested! How selfish can people be? Is getting drunk and eating out at a public eatery more important than everybody’s health? For crying out loud people, wise up and stay home and follow the health guidelines for a few months and let’s beat this damned virus! I think it’s time for another total lockdown! Or, maybe it’s time to lay some heavy fines on everyone that doesn’t follow the rules! If they refuse to cooperate, then maybe it’s time to add the amount of their fine to their taxes and if they refuse to pay up still, then their driver’s licenses don’t get renewed until they do pay up!

One way or another this situation has to be resolved. Do we have a bunch of idiots akin to those below our border right here in Canada? If so, then maybe it’s time to start deporting them to join the TRUMP Brigade down south! In my opinion, they’d fit right in with those rednecks! They didn’t raise this much stink when the government put restrictions on smoking a few years back and when the law made wearing seatbelts mandatory! Maybe those who oppose wearing masks should be refused an injection of the new anti-virus drug when it becomes available! Then we’d hear some Bitching worthwhile for sure!

That’s about all I have for this week folks!
Thanks for tuning in and I’ll look forward to talking to you all again next week in The Ontarion report!

Bye for now …. Greg

PS: Something to Think About>
Staying safe by following the health guidelines!