Keydet Piper’s new look
K was messing around with a new graphics program today and put this little logo together. I like it… Might have to try it with a different photo though. The hat looks a bit strange in line drawing, and the sunglasses make it look like I’m wearing aviator goggles. Way cool though. Look for the logo to appear on a t-shirt soon. Thanks K!
Competition Journal 2009 #1
The results from my solo piping competitions.
Scottish Arts Indoor Festival, Concord, NH, April 11, 2009
Event: Srathspey/Reel
Judge: Chris Hamilton
Tunes played: Arniston Castle, Major David Manson
Result: 5th
Event: 2/4 March
Judge: David Bailiff
2/4 marches submitted: Major Manson at Clachantrushal, Mrs. John MacColl
Tunes played: Major Manson at Clachantrushal
Result: 2nd
Event: 6/8 March
Judge: Andrew Douglas
Tune played: Dundee City Police Pipe Band
Result: 2nd
Event: Piobaireachd
Judge: Nancy Tunnicliffe
Tunes submitted: The Massacre of Glencoe, Black Donald’s March
Tune played: Black Donald’s March
Result: 1st, AGL
Can people really be this dumb?
A friend of mine pointed me to this file; it is a recording of an ongoing battle between a cell phone user and a certain wireless provider that shall remain nameless (but its name rhymes with “horizon”). Back story follows:
Before making a trip to Canada, the customer had called the company to find out how much they charge for data transfers while out of the country. He was quoted a rate of .002 cents per kB; this seemed so low he asked the CSR to indicate that was the actual price he had been quoted. So he goes to Canada, uses his phone, and upon receiving his bill notes that he has been charged .002 dollars per kB, which worked out to around $72. Based on what he had been quoted initially, he should have been charged more like 72 cents, or $0.72.
So he calls the company, and talks to several people, not one of whom is aware of the difference between .002 cents and .002 dollars. Listen to the recording; it’s about 27 minutes long and will make you want to pull your hair out. I lost some faith in humanity, and it really makes me upset that there are people who have a complete lack of understanding of 4th grade math skillls. As they say, 5 out of 4 people don’t understand fractions, and apparently the proportion who don’t understand decimal places and units is even greater. Sigh.
Another reason I love Mythbusters
And there are several. Here’s another one: Adam Savage is crazy. Proof follows in the video contained on this page.
Student quote of the day
“I know the world doesn’t revolve around me. I don’t have enough mass.”
The first true sign of spring
Here it is, proof that spring is nearly here. Yes, I know that snow bank is taller than I am, but I don’t care. It was warm.
Microsoft finally gets its head together… ish
I recently went off on a rant about how bad Internet Explorer is, and how there are several options that are a) faster, b) safer, c) less intrusive, d) free to download, and e) better in every way.
It seems that Microsoft has finally realized that maybe it doesn’t have the best browser out there. This article reports that a test build of Windows 7 actually has an option that allows users to toggle IE on or off. I can’t imagine why anyone would want it on, but if it’s off that means it’s not guzzling computer resources or trying to tell you how you should want your preferences set up.
It’s still Microsoft, but it is a step in the right direction.
For shame, IE users
I have to wonder at some people. The average computer user still uses some version of Internet Explorer as internet browser, and there’s absolutely no reason to do so. It is far and away the worst browser on the market in terms of speed of operation and security. These are quantitative stats that can be measured, but I think it’s also the worst in terms of ease of use and what I like to call “not getting in the way of what I’m doing.” Windows in general is very bad about this second part, and I have grown to love Mac OS X after I switched in August 2006.
Back to browsers though; there are several excellent options out there. These are all free downloads and exceedingly easy to use, so no quibbling about the cost or having to learn new software. The most serious competitor is Firefox. It’s a great browser that appears basically the same as IE, but it runs much faster and takes less system memory and stuff. Apple’s Safari is also a great one, and there’s even a version for Windows. Google Chrome is the newest and most radically different browser. My prediction is that in five years every browser will look like Chrome; it’s really well planned and organized.
Like I said these are all free downloads, easy to install, you can import all your bookmarks, and they are more secure and faster than IE. If you’re still using IE, shame on you. Upgrade to something better. For your own sanity, and so I don’t yell at you anymore, just do it.
Apples to Bagpipes?
I was playing a game of Apples to Apples yesterday; great fun, highly recommended. I was judging this particular round and the green card that was flipped up was “Perfect.” One of the red cards played was “Bagpipes.” If that’s not a clear winner, I don’t know what is.
Death of the paper era?
I’m reading a book at the moment, and it’s very entertaining. Terry Pratchett is a very entertaining writer with a nice dry sense of humor, very much in line with Douglas Adams, another of my favorite authors. The book follows the adventure of an unwilling postmaster as he struggles to restart the derelict post office in the city. It has been made obsolete by the Clacks, a system of signal towers linking cities in the world much like telegraph lines. Where it would take several months to deliver a letter to a distant city by coach, the Clacks can relay the message from tower to tower and have it arrive in a few hours. The post office still has a chance because the Clacks has become inefficient, unreliable, and corrupt. If you’ve read the book, don’t tell me how it ends because I’m still working on it (3/4 through).
With the advent of all the high tech gadgets in our lives today, there has been some discussion about eliminating all paper from our lives. This would basically serve the purpose of making landfills very happy, paper companies very upset, and crossword enthusiasts very confused. It would also change my job quite a bit; it’s much easier to solve a physics problem with a pencil and paper than on a computer screen. I don’t think we’ll see a completely paperless society, at least not in the near future, but there have been some important changes.
I’ve actually been largely paperless for some time now. You’d never know it to look around my apartment or desk (I am a teacher after all), but I do my best to not add new paper things. I no longer get paper statements from the bank or paper bills from credit cards or utilities. I barely look at bills besides the amount I owe and when I owe it by, and it just makes more sensitive waste that I need to be careful about throwing away.
How do I survive you might ask? I get by. The phone still works and no one has come to take my car back, so I can only assume the payments I make electronically get to the correct recipient. I get a little upset when people send me something “for my records;” I’d much rather have an electronic copy of a document that paper. Two reasons: my cell phone can’t hide under it, and things don’t get lost on my computer.
So the point of this is that while the amount of mail I get hasn’t changed a whole lot, them amount of worthwhile mail I get has decreased quite a bit. Lots of credit card offers, lower car insurance, and, as I’ve noticed while delivering mail to the boys in the dorm, lots of information from colleges. Most of these things don’t get read carefully, some don’t even get opened, and all but a very few of them will be discarded within an hour of them entering my apartment. I get quite a few letters addressed to me, but very few that I will actually read.
I figure that something like 91% of the written personal correspondence concerning myself these days is handled by email (text messages make up approximately 4% of the rest). It’s better in many ways: cheaper (read: free), faster, doesn’t clutter landfills when deleted, and gmail does a better job of filtering junk messages than the USPS. Better though it may be, getting a picture of an envelope on your computer screen just doesn’t match the excitement of getting a real envelope in the mail.
Perhaps this post should be titled “Lament for the Decent Mail,” or “Death of Written Personal Correspondence.” You decide.
Sound samples added!
I’ve been in the process of migrating the previous Touch of Scotland website to this blog, and this morning moved over my page of sound samples. All the same tunes are on there, though I would like to update them with some new recordings of better quality. Feel free to leave comments if you are so inclined.
Top 5 favorite movies
My all time top five movies, in no particular order.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
A prison movie set in Maine from 1947 to about 1967. This is one of only a few movies by director Frank Darabont, but everything came together in this one. The script is superbly adapted for the screen, the acting is top notch, the music compliments the action but doesn’t distract from it, and you empathize with the characters, from hardened felons to the guards. I hope this is one for all time… I hope.
Band of Brothers (2001)
A World War II miniseries that originally ran on HBO, Band of Brothers follows the men in an airborne company in the 101st Airborne Division. It is based on a book of the same name by the late Stephen Ambrose, and features probably the most accurately portrayed interactions of soldiers ever committed to film. The dialogue is realistic, the characters are well developed, and the battle scenes are gritty and bloody, but never gratuitous. The focus is indeed not on the battles, but on the men fighting them.
The Hunt for Red October (1990)
Based on a Tom Clancy novel of the same name, this is one that relatively few people think about in their favorites list. It was the first movie I saw with Sean Connery, and Alec Baldwin puts in a convincing performance as Clancy’s recurring CIA operative Jack Ryan. He doesn’t have quite the same star appeal as Harrison Ford, who played Ryan later in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger, and I think the action sequences are more believable for a CIA desk jockey than in later Jack Ryan films. It plays on the fears of the political tension of the Cold War, the potential destruction of the world through nuclear war, and the fact that the US and Soviet navies could have launched the missiles to destroy the world in a matter of hours and no one would have known until it was too late. There is one ultimately quotable line is this movie, especially if you do a good Sean Connery impression: “Be careful what you shoot at. Most things in here don’t react too well to bullets.”
Pulp Fiction (1994)
It’s hard to put this movie into a category, and even harder to describe the plot. In my opinion it’s Quentin Tarantino’s best movie, and is just a rocking good time. The first time I saw it I was thoroughly confused until about 2/3 of the way through, then I couldn’t stop laughing (“Oh man, I just shot Marvin in the face!”). It’s one of those that improves significantly with repeated viewings, and you really gain an appreciation for the brilliance of Tarantino’s vision.
Airplane (1980)
A spoof of disaster movies like Airport and Zero Hour!, this is without a doubt my favorite comedy. It is king of the sight gag (“All right boys, let’s get some pictures”), and so many classic lines came from this movie. It was Leslie Nielsen’s first comedic role, and Kareem Abdul Jabar makes an appearance as the plane’s first officer. This movie has to be the greatest comedy ever made; I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley.
Maxville videos posted
I recorded the Grade 1 MSR competition at Maxville, and have posted the videos here in this YouTube playlist. The rains came down and we didn’t stay for the medley contest, or I certainly would have been uploading videos of that too.
Here are the Grade 1 results:
MSR
1. Scottish Lion 78th Fraser Highlanders
2. Toronto Police Pipe Band
3. Peel Regional Police Pipe Band
4. 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel)
5. Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band
6. Windsor Police Pipe Band
7. Oran Mor Pipe Band
Medley
1. Scottish Lion 78th Fraser Highlanders
2. Toronto Police Pipe Band
3. Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band
4. Peel Regional Police Pipe Band
5. Windsor Police Pipe Band
6. 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel)
7. Oran Mor Pipe Band
Overall
1. Scottish Lion 78th Fraser Highlanders
2. Toronto Police Pipe Band
3. Peel Regional Police Pipe Band
4. Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band
5. 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel)
6. Windsor Police Pipe Band
7. Oran Mor Pipe Band
Irony…
Here’s a useless fact I learned on the History Channel. The ancient Romans were big fans of bathing and built huge and wonderful bath houses. They stole that from the Greeks, incidentally, just like their mythology. Anywho, after the fall of Rome bathing fell somewhat out of favor until the 18th century or so (talk about a smelly few centuries) when it experienced somewhat of a return in popularity. The main tool of this new fad, i.e., the bathtub, was brought to the U.S. by Benjamin Franklin upon his return from… **drumroll please**… France.
Companionship
I’m dogsitting right now for a friend who went down to Boston to visit her daughter. Marg (the friend) asked if I’d watch Ruth (the dog) until she got back on Saturday, and since I like doggies I’m happy to do it.
I’m sitting in an armchair in the living room at the moment, and I found myself wondering why it is that I keep talking to the dog. I mean it’s obvious why most people talk to dogs, but Ruthie is entirely deaf. She didn’t hear me come in this afternoon and jumped when I walked past her sleeping on the floor. No matter much I say “Hi Ruthie” or “Good girl” or anything like that I know she won’t hear me, but I keep talking anyway. Might as well be talking to the wall.
Or not, since the dog has a great deal more personality than the wall, and even though she can’t hear me I still get more response than I would from the wall. Not that walls aren’t nice, but they’re usually rather wallish and not terribly friendly.
You’re traveling without what???
As you may have guessed from the title, I am traveling. I’m off of school this week (February vacation), and have traveled to Virginia to spend some time with the girlfriend and the parents. I’m still there, writing this post on an ancient (and dying) hp laptop, far from my beloved Macbook.
So what am I traveling without? Two things actually: the first you might guess from the last sentence, and that is my computer. Staying in a resort in the Shenandoah valley without wireless internet (at least without free wireless internet), and not really needing my computer to do schoolwork, I decided to leave it at home to make one less thing to travel with. I have missed it a little bit, but it’s kind of nice find things to do that don’t involve a wireless internet connection.
The second item is the big one: my bagpipes. This is the first time in recent memory that I have traveled without pipes, and for much the same reason that I left the computer at home. Staying in a condo I thought I’d let the neighbors have a little peace and quiet; besides, the resort’s policies specifically prohibit “loud and annoying activities.” I don’t think the pipes are annoying, but they are definitely loud.
So I feel somewhat naked traveling without those two items, but it’s a lot easier to get through the airport with only one bag. Besides, I have plenty of time to waste when I get back.
One of those rare days
Usually when I practice, I finish feeling sweaty and exhausted. I just finished playing today, and for a change I’m feeling sweaty and exhilarated. It was a rare practice session when my fingers were working pretty well and the pipes were sounding really nice, and after 45 minutes with nearly rock-steady drones I’m feeling almost prepared for my first competition. This is really exciting because the first competition is over eight weeks away, and if things keep going like this I have a feeling I might play pretty well. It’s very exciting!
Why I wish I lived in Scotland part 2
The National Piping Centre in Glasgow has announced their spring recital series, and it’s another reason I’d like to live in Scotland. As you’d expect from The Piping Centre, the lineup is pretty impressive. There are two in particular that strike my fancy (though of course I’d like to go to all of them): March 6 with Fred Morrison and Finlay MacDonald, and on May 22 with Angus MacColl and Gordon Walker.
Fred and Finlay are both very talented highland pipers w`ho are branching out: Fred is exploring the border pipes and Finlay with adding the highland pipes to other ensembles. As you can see from the vids, they’re both very good at what they do.
Angus and Gordon are among the top of the solo pipers today. They’ve combined for an impressive resume at the most prestigious contests, and any recital by either of them would surely be an afternoon of some of the best piping on the planet. A single recital with both of them will be the type of event that doesn’t happen very often. What a birthday present that would be!
Back to blog roots/A new tuner
I’ve decided to make this blog more focused on piping. Although I will still blog about other things that are on my mind, I’m thinking that maybe if I try to put in more piping related posts I might have bagpipes on the brain, which would make me more inclined to practice. We’ll see how that goes.
So here we go.
It was brought to my attention last night that there is a new electronic bagpipe tuner on the market. It’s made by Mark Saul, a well-known name in the piping scene, and is somewhat revolutionary. First let me give a rundown of what else is out there.
1. Ears. The first bagpipe tuner, always available and very cheap. It takes a long time to develop a good ear and tune effectively.
2. Korg Chromatic Tuner. A good low cost option. It’s not specifically designed for pipes, but works well to set the low A in a band and quickly tune drones.
3. Yamane Bagpipe Tuner. A very nice tuner, but not at all low cost. Made specifically for the pipes, the analog scale makes it easy to read the pitch, and it’s easy to calibrate without worrying about numbers. It’s not affected by background noises that can throw off the Korg, but again in a band setting it’s really only good for setting the Low A and drones.
The new tuner by Mark Saul is a complete reinvention of the process of tuning the bagpipes. It’s designed to tune each chanter note individually, as well as each of the drones. It mounts on the blowpipe stock for easy viewing, and its pickups mount to the stock of each drone and the chanter with regular electrical tape (which every piper should have lots of). The estimated retail price is $300 US, toward the upper range of the prices, but it’s more versatile than the Yamane listed above. It can be a valuable teaching tool and really handy for tuning bands, especially lower grade bands. There are some videos on YouTube showing demonstrations of the tuner.
The bad news is that when used by a band, Saul suggests that every member of the band have this installed on their pipes. That makes for a significant investment on the part of the band. With the tuners listed above, a band can easily get by with just one unit for the band.
So this brings me to my thoughts on tuners in general. They’re fine for a band, but I don’t recommend them for players tuning for solo work. I shudder when I see soloists, usually in the lower grades, using a tuner to get ready for their competitions. First, the chanter only needs to be in tune with itself; unlike most (ok, all)other instruments, it doesn’t have to match a pre-determined concert pitch. Second, as you use the tuner, your blowing pressure (especially for lower grade players) is almost guaranteed to change from tuning to performing. Changes in pressure drastically change the pitch, and if you tune at one pressure and perform at another the tuning is all for naught.
The big reason I don’t like to see soloists tune with electronic devices is this: I feel a good piper should be able to tune chanter and drones by ear. A tuner can help a piper get in tune, so he/she becomes used to what a well-tuned pipe should sound like, but there’s also a tendency to tune with the gadget then not think about tuning after that. After all, if the gadget says it’s in tune, it must be. Players need to keep in mind that the judge is listening with ears, and will comment on poorly tuned pipes regardless of what the tuner says. No matter how cool gadgetry gets, a piper needs to be able to tune his/her own pipes by ear. If the ear knows what to listen for, you never get a false reading, and if the batteries run low you have bigger troubles than an out of tune set of pipes.
So the bottom line on tuners is this: when used wisely by someone who can tune pipes by ear it’s a valuable tool in a pipe band’s arsenal, but shouldn’t be relied upon exclusively, and the solo player should use it sparingly and only as a practice tool. That’s my two bits.
Man this guy is good!
I met this guy last year at piping school, and he’s certainly one of the best pipers in the world. This video is his solo performance from Winter Storm 2008 about two weeks ago. He’s one of those who makes playing look so easy; it looks like he’s not putting in any effort whatsoever. (Anyone who plays the pipes will tell you it takes a lot of effort). He’s of course great at playing the standards, but is also really good at adapting them to his extremely adept fingers. The first two parts of the first tune (The Conundrum) are very solid traditional playing, and then he adds his own touch. Same for the second tune (The Train Journey North). The last bit is just flashy. He probably has the fastest fingers out there today, and it’s so relaxed! A lot of people who play fast sound really rushed or forced, but Start certainly isn’t one of them. The fact that he has the same name as a mouse is just a coincidence.
Competition Thoughts
So my first solo competition of the year is coming up… see the counter for exact time remaining. I’m playing at the New Hampshire Indoor Contest in Concord, NH on April 5; they have four events in grade 2: piobaireachd, 2/4 march, strathspey/reel, and 6/8 march. For both the piobaireachd and 2/4 march I have to submit 2 tunes, and the judge will pick on the spot which one I will play. That means I need to have 7 tunes that are competition ready on the day of. It’s a lot of work being in the higher grades!
I haven’t been able to put in much time on the pipes lately, and I don’t foresee that changing drastically over the next few weeks. A few of my tunes still need some work on the practice chanter, which is about all I’ve been able to give them recently. I was doing pretty well and playing the pipes for half an hour at least each day, but that has fallen by the wayside lately. I need to get back to it; it feel good when I’m playing regularly.
More bad jokes… by special request.
I think there are now three people who follow the blog… and one of them requested cripple jokes. You asked for it….
What do you call a guy with no arms and no legs…
… in the swimming pool? Bob
… on the front porch? Matt
… in a pile of leaves? Russell
… in a hole in the ground? Phil (or Doug)
… in a mailbox? Bill
… in a wallet? Buck (or Bill)
… hanging on the wall? Art
… in a Johnny Cash song? Sue
… covered in shaving cream Nick
What do you call a woman….
… with no arms and no legs in the cannibals’ encampment? Candy
… with no arms and no legs in the courtroom? Sue
… with no arms and one leg shorter than the other? Eileen
… with no arms and one leg shorter than the other who is from Japan? Irene
… with no arms or legs, but with handles? Carrie
… with no arms on roller skates? Dolly
Can you spot the ones I made up myself?
Bad News, Good News
Bad news: I haven’t played my pipes for two days
Good news: I got a good chunk of my schoolwork done for the next few weeks.
So I’m going through bagpipe withdrawal, and the only cure is to play. I should have some time this evening for a good practice session, but that’s 10 hours away. Whether I have the energy for a practice session is another story.
AP physics has been a drain on my time recently, and with the start of a new semester I’ve decided to make some big changes with the way the course is run. Already it looks very different from last semester, and I’ve realized I need to have more thorough plans for that class. I’ve put in a lot of time over the last few days (6 hours total) outside of class, and we’ll see how long I can keep up that intensity. It’s exhausting.
I’m hoping to be able to use my pipes for winding down, but it takes a lot of energy to play them, and after teaching all day it’s energy that I don’t have. Any motivational thoughts would be appreciated!
I’m getting famous!
I received an email this morning indicating that someone had commented on one of my previous posts. This is the first comment I’ve gotten from someone I’m not dating (don’t think you’re not appreciated, Kayla), and as far as I know it’s the first visitor who I didn’t share the address with directly. If I’m wrong about this feel free to comment and let me know that you’re out there. If I know people are reading, I’m likely to post more often.
The commenter was Piping Girl, who has her own bagpipe-related blog. I seem to recall having stumbled across her site not all that long ago (after seeing a post on Dunsire perhaps?), and hers is one of the several blogs that I follow once in a while. She has a nice post about the progression of courses at a Burns Dinner.
So this is proof that there are people out there who have found my site. Check out my actual website too; there’s lots of good information about me there. And keep checking back here for my sporadic and random posts. This is, after all, Keydetpiper’s Random Thoughts on the World.
