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Did you know that I have two albums?
Posted 6 months agoIt's Band camp Friday.
These are very old albums, but I do have them. The first paid for the equipment I used to record the second.
You can buy them if you want to support my music ^^
https://dreweddyjones.bandcamp.com/.....the-dawn-comes
https://dreweddyjones.bandcamp.com/album/fade
These are very old albums, but I do have them. The first paid for the equipment I used to record the second.
You can buy them if you want to support my music ^^
https://dreweddyjones.bandcamp.com/.....the-dawn-comes
https://dreweddyjones.bandcamp.com/album/fade
How to Spot AI Bullshit "Music"
Posted 6 months agoSo on top of accounts that are uploading other people's creations, I also see that we are now dealing with AI generated music.
In one case, I found someone that was using lyrics from Dutch pop songs as prompts and generating alternate AI versions of those same songs.
There are a few things I have noticed that these accounts have in common:
1: The stuff they upload sounds exceedingly polished and very generic. Like if the most bland shit imaginable was produced by amazing sound engineers. I'm not saying that furries can't also produce some really polished recordings, but its something to be suspicious of when the timing, vocal pitches, instrumentation is all absolutely fucking perfect. Even the greatest recordings will have some flaws.
2: There are never any credits. You hear what sounds like a vocalist, some guitar players, synth, drums etc and you never see any musicians credited with doing those parts. If someone is doing ALL that themselves and doing it absolutely perfectly, they would have better things to do than upload to FA. If someone is in a band, they will credit their bandmates or collab partners. If on the other hand, something is AI, the user is likely to be extremely reluctant to talk about who did what, because rather than having something to nerd out about or brag about, they have something that on some level they are ashamed of or at least don't want to admit. Musicians won't shut up about their work. When someone doesn't even want to talk about it, something is up!
3: The profiles are generally pretty sparse. They won't include common info that musicians tend to add like what instruments they play, other places you can find their content, people they work with, other projects they are involved with. Musicians tend to like to talk about and boost their work and they also tend to be involved in a number of projects and interests they will mention. If you don't see any of that, something is likely up with the profile. Again, the recordings are going to sound like a LOT of effort went into them. Someone that puts that much time into their work is probably going to take a least a little time setting up a reasonably fleshed out profile.
4: The uploads are frequent. If you have someone posting simple guitar/vocal recordings every other day, thats one thing but if someone is uploading a full on metal opera every day, sometimes multiple times a day, that shit is ABSOLUTELY fake. Complex recordings take days, weeks, months to throw together and produce. You cant release a Bohemian Rhapsody every single day, thats just not a pace a human being can keep up with.
5: No lyrics posted and the descriptions are very brief if they have any at all. Its not always a tell, a lot of people don't post their lyrics with their stuff, but it is a little suspicious if someone hits any of these other points and ALSO doesn't post the words they wrote. Sometimes AI users will in fact upload lyrics too, so again, not a perfect tell. What I will say that is if you are working on a recording that is really complex, chances are high you will take some time to detail what you have done in the description and that would likely include writing out the words to the song.
6: The creators seem to not reply to comments or if they do, they give very brief and non-descriptive answers. People that work hard on their music, in my experience, are happy to communicate with anyone that likes their stuff enough to comment or ask about it. Not always, but usually anyway. If you see that behavior and other things on this list, its suspicious.
7: They typically won't be heavy followers of other accounts. These people come here to upload their AI crap, not because they are musicians wanting to make connections with other musicians. In fact, they probably want to avoid getting close to musicians who might pull their mask off. Just about every musician I know on here is going to have other musicians stuff in their faves, are following a bunch of other musicians, have shouts on their profile, are leaving comments on other peoples work. Not everyone is a social butterfly but there will generally be SOME activity showing they are networking a bit and finding content they enjoy in their own medium which is music. These AI accounts tend to have few followers, are following few if any accounts, aren't faving anything or if they are its probably not music. Its not a sure tell on every point here, but my over all point is that these accounts seem pretty lonely. Like particularly suspicious if the stuff they post seems REALLY polished and like they SHOULD be nerds about what they are doing.
8: They may be using AI thumbnails.
9: Are they posting wildly varied and different stuff? Are they posting anything else? If so, does that shit look like its AI generated, or stolen, or suspicious for other reasons? Again, its hard to tell for sure with some of this stuff, but again, people kinda have a pattern with shit they upload. If they are posting a bunch of shit that looks like all different styles and seeming to take credit themselves, then thats pretty suspicious. That goes also for people that post wildly different styles of music too. Like if you see a couple screemo uploads followed by some song with ripped off lyrics from seseme street, then that is pretty sus. Musicians tend to learn to play in a style. There will be little flureshes they like to use, chord progressions they fall back to, instruments they know how to play so they use them. Most people, no matter how talented at being varied and multitalented will always have an element that sounds like *them* in what they do.
10: Does something not listed here also peak your spidy sense? Does something feel just a bit off? Well, sniff around a bit more and you might find more sussy stuff about it. Chances are that if someone is uploading bullshit, they know they are uploading bullshit and they are going to act like someone uploading bullshit. It will feel like something OTHER than a typical user who comes here to upload and talk about heir craft, find creators they love and engage with the community. If you don’t have a good answer to "why is this person being this weird about everything" it might be that they aren't here for the same reasons most of us come here.
Anyway, these aren't all fool proof and they are just based on my anecdotal experiences, but I think they are a good starting point for anyone interested in learning to spot the bullshit thats been making its way here more and more lately.
In one case, I found someone that was using lyrics from Dutch pop songs as prompts and generating alternate AI versions of those same songs.
There are a few things I have noticed that these accounts have in common:
1: The stuff they upload sounds exceedingly polished and very generic. Like if the most bland shit imaginable was produced by amazing sound engineers. I'm not saying that furries can't also produce some really polished recordings, but its something to be suspicious of when the timing, vocal pitches, instrumentation is all absolutely fucking perfect. Even the greatest recordings will have some flaws.
2: There are never any credits. You hear what sounds like a vocalist, some guitar players, synth, drums etc and you never see any musicians credited with doing those parts. If someone is doing ALL that themselves and doing it absolutely perfectly, they would have better things to do than upload to FA. If someone is in a band, they will credit their bandmates or collab partners. If on the other hand, something is AI, the user is likely to be extremely reluctant to talk about who did what, because rather than having something to nerd out about or brag about, they have something that on some level they are ashamed of or at least don't want to admit. Musicians won't shut up about their work. When someone doesn't even want to talk about it, something is up!
3: The profiles are generally pretty sparse. They won't include common info that musicians tend to add like what instruments they play, other places you can find their content, people they work with, other projects they are involved with. Musicians tend to like to talk about and boost their work and they also tend to be involved in a number of projects and interests they will mention. If you don't see any of that, something is likely up with the profile. Again, the recordings are going to sound like a LOT of effort went into them. Someone that puts that much time into their work is probably going to take a least a little time setting up a reasonably fleshed out profile.
4: The uploads are frequent. If you have someone posting simple guitar/vocal recordings every other day, thats one thing but if someone is uploading a full on metal opera every day, sometimes multiple times a day, that shit is ABSOLUTELY fake. Complex recordings take days, weeks, months to throw together and produce. You cant release a Bohemian Rhapsody every single day, thats just not a pace a human being can keep up with.
5: No lyrics posted and the descriptions are very brief if they have any at all. Its not always a tell, a lot of people don't post their lyrics with their stuff, but it is a little suspicious if someone hits any of these other points and ALSO doesn't post the words they wrote. Sometimes AI users will in fact upload lyrics too, so again, not a perfect tell. What I will say that is if you are working on a recording that is really complex, chances are high you will take some time to detail what you have done in the description and that would likely include writing out the words to the song.
6: The creators seem to not reply to comments or if they do, they give very brief and non-descriptive answers. People that work hard on their music, in my experience, are happy to communicate with anyone that likes their stuff enough to comment or ask about it. Not always, but usually anyway. If you see that behavior and other things on this list, its suspicious.
7: They typically won't be heavy followers of other accounts. These people come here to upload their AI crap, not because they are musicians wanting to make connections with other musicians. In fact, they probably want to avoid getting close to musicians who might pull their mask off. Just about every musician I know on here is going to have other musicians stuff in their faves, are following a bunch of other musicians, have shouts on their profile, are leaving comments on other peoples work. Not everyone is a social butterfly but there will generally be SOME activity showing they are networking a bit and finding content they enjoy in their own medium which is music. These AI accounts tend to have few followers, are following few if any accounts, aren't faving anything or if they are its probably not music. Its not a sure tell on every point here, but my over all point is that these accounts seem pretty lonely. Like particularly suspicious if the stuff they post seems REALLY polished and like they SHOULD be nerds about what they are doing.
8: They may be using AI thumbnails.
9: Are they posting wildly varied and different stuff? Are they posting anything else? If so, does that shit look like its AI generated, or stolen, or suspicious for other reasons? Again, its hard to tell for sure with some of this stuff, but again, people kinda have a pattern with shit they upload. If they are posting a bunch of shit that looks like all different styles and seeming to take credit themselves, then thats pretty suspicious. That goes also for people that post wildly different styles of music too. Like if you see a couple screemo uploads followed by some song with ripped off lyrics from seseme street, then that is pretty sus. Musicians tend to learn to play in a style. There will be little flureshes they like to use, chord progressions they fall back to, instruments they know how to play so they use them. Most people, no matter how talented at being varied and multitalented will always have an element that sounds like *them* in what they do.
10: Does something not listed here also peak your spidy sense? Does something feel just a bit off? Well, sniff around a bit more and you might find more sussy stuff about it. Chances are that if someone is uploading bullshit, they know they are uploading bullshit and they are going to act like someone uploading bullshit. It will feel like something OTHER than a typical user who comes here to upload and talk about heir craft, find creators they love and engage with the community. If you don’t have a good answer to "why is this person being this weird about everything" it might be that they aren't here for the same reasons most of us come here.
Anyway, these aren't all fool proof and they are just based on my anecdotal experiences, but I think they are a good starting point for anyone interested in learning to spot the bullshit thats been making its way here more and more lately.
Accounts Uploading Stolen Copywritten Songs
Posted 6 months agoSo, I have been listening to a lot of tracks off the front page in the last week or so and just about every time I go through the music there, I am finding one or two uploads from accounts that are just posting MP3s that they downloaded. Stuff from movies, tv shows, random top 40 stuff. I'm not talking about mashups or remixes here, I am talking about other peoples recordings just straight up uploaded, not credited and not altered in anyway.
I reported a few of these to FA as it is a direct violation of the upload policy, section 2.6, however FA seems to not want to take "third party reports" of this kind of thing.
So I guess this is just life here now. Space on the front page being clogged by bullshit, idiots out posting stolen content as if they wrote it and we all just have to suffer.
I am not sure what the best way to handle this kind of thing is. You could try calling it out in the comments I guess, or just flooding FA moderators with reports until they do something. I suppose if one wanted to be a real dick about it they could send links to those uploads to whatever lawyers are in charge of the IP being ripped off. Any of that seems like a lot of work considering how pervasive the issue is though.
I reported a few of these to FA as it is a direct violation of the upload policy, section 2.6, however FA seems to not want to take "third party reports" of this kind of thing.
So I guess this is just life here now. Space on the front page being clogged by bullshit, idiots out posting stolen content as if they wrote it and we all just have to suffer.
I am not sure what the best way to handle this kind of thing is. You could try calling it out in the comments I guess, or just flooding FA moderators with reports until they do something. I suppose if one wanted to be a real dick about it they could send links to those uploads to whatever lawyers are in charge of the IP being ripped off. Any of that seems like a lot of work considering how pervasive the issue is though.
Display Names is a Long Time Coming.
Posted 6 months agoYears and years ago I left behind an account that had like 400+ followers because I hated the name I had that account under. Had this feature existed like 10 years ago I might have been able to keep the account :( So it goes. I am probably glad i left that account behind anyway since the URL still would have included that stupid old name but it feels so liberating being able to change this one to what i currently go by.
Honestly, a BIG PART of being furry to me is the freedom to shape ones own identity and with that in mind, I think being able to change ones name is fundamental to that principle. This change has been a long time coming and I am glad that FA is finally able to do this.
Honestly, a BIG PART of being furry to me is the freedom to shape ones own identity and with that in mind, I think being able to change ones name is fundamental to that principle. This change has been a long time coming and I am glad that FA is finally able to do this.
Gofundme for emergency moving expenses
Posted 2 years agoIt's been a rough couple of months. I have been busy dealing with the aftermath of a burglary where my apartment storage room was broken into. They took a whole bunch of my musical instruments and a few bike projects I was working on. It's been a lot of running around trying to secure the things I have left and find a safer place to live.
This has all happened pretty suddenly. The break in was on august 15th and since then I have been talking to insurance companies to get better coverage for future incidents, looking for a putting down a deposit on a new apartment in a better area, porting section 8, beefing up security at the shop to keep that location safer and preparing for filing a complaint in court against my current apartment complex.
I can still use funds so if you are able to link this around to folks, anything helps. The little $10 and $20 donations have helped to get things like security cameras and the larger ones are mostly going to be going to the move, but its been a lot to keep up with all this and my normal work schedule at the same time. To top it off, I was blessed with the flu and that knocked me out of work all last week and I have to have all the moving expenses covered by the 7th 🙃
https://gofund.me/d294b341
This has all happened pretty suddenly. The break in was on august 15th and since then I have been talking to insurance companies to get better coverage for future incidents, looking for a putting down a deposit on a new apartment in a better area, porting section 8, beefing up security at the shop to keep that location safer and preparing for filing a complaint in court against my current apartment complex.
I can still use funds so if you are able to link this around to folks, anything helps. The little $10 and $20 donations have helped to get things like security cameras and the larger ones are mostly going to be going to the move, but its been a lot to keep up with all this and my normal work schedule at the same time. To top it off, I was blessed with the flu and that knocked me out of work all last week and I have to have all the moving expenses covered by the 7th 🙃
https://gofund.me/d294b341
GoFundMe to Help Recovery From Burglary
Posted 2 years agoI posted a gofundme finally to see if I can get help with some of the expenses and stuff.
Mostly expenses related to moving, the legal action I want to take and the efforts I am making to try to better secure my things and the workshop and buy insurance. Not to mention the time this has all taken away from my time working. I initially didn't think I wanted to do anything like this, but, IDK...maybe I could use the help after all. https://gofund.me/e44b3963
Mostly expenses related to moving, the legal action I want to take and the efforts I am making to try to better secure my things and the workshop and buy insurance. Not to mention the time this has all taken away from my time working. I initially didn't think I wanted to do anything like this, but, IDK...maybe I could use the help after all. https://gofund.me/e44b3963
BREAK IN, Guitars and Bikes STOLEN
Posted 2 years agoMy storage unit was broken into last night around 8:40 and a number of very precious things were taken including two of my hand made guitars and a few bikes.
I am putting this out there in case anyone sees anything. I have pictures of most of what was taken and of the thief linked below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEEhTF3kcO8
https://docs.google.com/document/d/.....it?usp=sharing
Bikes:
Red Specialized Rockhopper
Pics below. Serial number P0514470
It has a cargo rack installed that is finished in truck bed liner, a front fender, red bell, it will have a mount for a light on one handle bar. The handle bar covers are red and black aftermarket as is the seat. It has toe cage pedals
Vintage Sears 3 speed
Pics attached serial number 503.47 380
It is a three speed bike with a sturmey archer system. It has a old chrome cargo rack and a old but cheep brooks saddle.
"The Chief" beach cruiser bicycle
Pictured below. Unknown serial
This bike is unridable at the moment. It has flat tires, a bad chain, rusty gears and possibly other issues. It has a little sun damage. I just got this one to fix up for a friend and hadn't had the time to do the work .
Guitars:
Blue Handmade telecaster with set neck and 24 frets "AJ" logo on headstock
Pics attached, this has no serial number but it is a very unique guitar I built as part of my luthier education at roberto venn school of luthiery. It is very precious to me.
Mediera by guild 12 string acoustic
pic attached of similar looking guitar. Mine has a chip out of the faceplay on the upper corner of the headstock.
Turn of the century parlor guitar with while oak back and sides
This is a VERY old guitar. It has a half finished crack repair for a very serious crack on one of its sides.
Turn of the century ukulele
I unfortunatly do not have a picture of this instrument, but assume it may be with some of the other stolen items.
Lyle Hummingbird copy
Picture of me playing attached. This guitar has seen some unusual work. The headstock is painted brown and the bridge has had its saddle slot plugged and recut.
Mitchel acoustic electric with no bridge
No pics of this guitar but it is also a low priority. Its only value is in fixing it up. It has a very nasty bridge tear out situation and the bridge is off the guitar and presumably still inside the guitar where I put it for safe keeping.
Blue Johnson acoustic
Pictures below with me playing it. This is not a valuable guitar. Its value to me is purely sentimental. It was one of my first guitars. It will likely be missing some parts and not strung up. The bridge has been sanded down and it has had its neck converted to a bolt on. Lagbolts hold the neck from the inside.
Vintage red flattop Silvertone parlor guitar with dot inlays
No pics of this one unfortunately, but it has had some unique work done to it. It has had a modern refret and its painted on inlays were replaced with real inlay dots. The fretboard was dyed black. It may be with the other stolen items.
No pictures of this
Epiphone, black with butterfly
Pic attached of similar guitar. These are not common, only a few thousand were made and this one has some damage to the binding around the fretboard.
Yamaha acoustic
No pics of this guitar but its one of the non-japanese yamahas. Its not a high priority but may be with the other stolen items.
Partscaster guitar with redburst paint job and acoustic epiphone neck with rose painted on pickguard
No pic available. Should be in an old gig bag
This guitar was build out of a old epiphone acoustic guitar neck and a body that was probably off of an old harmony electric or maybe a teisco or something.
Its got 1 tone, 1 vol and a single gold humbucker pickup. Ih has a black pickguard.
I am putting this out there in case anyone sees anything. I have pictures of most of what was taken and of the thief linked below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEEhTF3kcO8
https://docs.google.com/document/d/.....it?usp=sharing
Bikes:
Red Specialized Rockhopper
Pics below. Serial number P0514470
It has a cargo rack installed that is finished in truck bed liner, a front fender, red bell, it will have a mount for a light on one handle bar. The handle bar covers are red and black aftermarket as is the seat. It has toe cage pedals
Vintage Sears 3 speed
Pics attached serial number 503.47 380
It is a three speed bike with a sturmey archer system. It has a old chrome cargo rack and a old but cheep brooks saddle.
"The Chief" beach cruiser bicycle
Pictured below. Unknown serial
This bike is unridable at the moment. It has flat tires, a bad chain, rusty gears and possibly other issues. It has a little sun damage. I just got this one to fix up for a friend and hadn't had the time to do the work .
Guitars:
Blue Handmade telecaster with set neck and 24 frets "AJ" logo on headstock
Pics attached, this has no serial number but it is a very unique guitar I built as part of my luthier education at roberto venn school of luthiery. It is very precious to me.
Mediera by guild 12 string acoustic
pic attached of similar looking guitar. Mine has a chip out of the faceplay on the upper corner of the headstock.
Turn of the century parlor guitar with while oak back and sides
This is a VERY old guitar. It has a half finished crack repair for a very serious crack on one of its sides.
Turn of the century ukulele
I unfortunatly do not have a picture of this instrument, but assume it may be with some of the other stolen items.
Lyle Hummingbird copy
Picture of me playing attached. This guitar has seen some unusual work. The headstock is painted brown and the bridge has had its saddle slot plugged and recut.
Mitchel acoustic electric with no bridge
No pics of this guitar but it is also a low priority. Its only value is in fixing it up. It has a very nasty bridge tear out situation and the bridge is off the guitar and presumably still inside the guitar where I put it for safe keeping.
Blue Johnson acoustic
Pictures below with me playing it. This is not a valuable guitar. Its value to me is purely sentimental. It was one of my first guitars. It will likely be missing some parts and not strung up. The bridge has been sanded down and it has had its neck converted to a bolt on. Lagbolts hold the neck from the inside.
Vintage red flattop Silvertone parlor guitar with dot inlays
No pics of this one unfortunately, but it has had some unique work done to it. It has had a modern refret and its painted on inlays were replaced with real inlay dots. The fretboard was dyed black. It may be with the other stolen items.
No pictures of this
Epiphone, black with butterfly
Pic attached of similar guitar. These are not common, only a few thousand were made and this one has some damage to the binding around the fretboard.
Yamaha acoustic
No pics of this guitar but its one of the non-japanese yamahas. Its not a high priority but may be with the other stolen items.
Partscaster guitar with redburst paint job and acoustic epiphone neck with rose painted on pickguard
No pic available. Should be in an old gig bag
This guitar was build out of a old epiphone acoustic guitar neck and a body that was probably off of an old harmony electric or maybe a teisco or something.
Its got 1 tone, 1 vol and a single gold humbucker pickup. Ih has a black pickguard.
Going to try recording more originals
Posted 4 years agoI just got my recording rig setup and I made a deal with myself: I have to record at least one original for every cover I upload.
This isn't to pressure myself to write, I have a ton of songs that I have only ever had cell phone demos or less and they all need attention. So, my hope is to end up with a few more albums worth of material and also to make sure that these songs can actually be some kind of legacy, for whatever that might be worth.
I am also planning on revisiting some of the very very early stuff I did when I was still using a radio shack microphone and using a old tascam 4 track tape recorder as a preamp for it going straight into my Mac :I I like some of those songs and I really don’t want those to be the only recordings that exists.
If you all have something in particular from my old catalog or scraps that you would like to see me re-explore, let me know. I'll definitely be interested in suggestions.
This isn't to pressure myself to write, I have a ton of songs that I have only ever had cell phone demos or less and they all need attention. So, my hope is to end up with a few more albums worth of material and also to make sure that these songs can actually be some kind of legacy, for whatever that might be worth.
I am also planning on revisiting some of the very very early stuff I did when I was still using a radio shack microphone and using a old tascam 4 track tape recorder as a preamp for it going straight into my Mac :I I like some of those songs and I really don’t want those to be the only recordings that exists.
If you all have something in particular from my old catalog or scraps that you would like to see me re-explore, let me know. I'll definitely be interested in suggestions.
I wish you could change your name here
Posted 4 years agoI have changed fursonas and names a number of times and it sucks to be stuck in this position where I don't want to upload under my old name but I also don't want to move accounts again.
What We Saw on Wednesday Was an Attempted Coup
Posted 5 years ago"Stand back and stand by" the president said to a known white nationalist street gang during the debates when he was asked if he disavowed white nationalist groups. It was a simple yes or no question with an obviously correct and an obviously wrong answer and he chose to answer by not only refusing to condemn and disavow them, but to practically give them standing orders.
Now, we see the results of this and 5 years of stoking hate. The dog whistles, the little winks and nods, the tacit support and the overt support.
I want you to put aside the media spin and look at the facts for a second and see if you can imagine how this would be reported if this same thing were happening in Venezuela or a middle eastern country.
-A sitting president refuses to disavow white nationalist support and gives what appears to be a standing order to white nationalist groups
-That same president loses a democratic election. That loss is investigated, recounted, taken to court and found to be correct
-That same president tries numerous times to over-turn the results of that election via backdoor channels
-That same president plants a narrative in right wing media and with his loyalists that the election was stolen despite no evidence
-That same president then specifically requests that his loyalists show up to the capital on the day that the votes of that election will be certified.
-That same president orders his supporters to march on the building where the votes are taking place *with the express purpose of disrupting the vote certification process.*
-Police that were meant to keep the crowd under control are thin that day because of an official decision. Many officers are seen taking selfies with the mob, officers are seen opening gates for them, waving them through. It has now come out that many officers who took the day off were in the crowd flashing their badges in order to bypass security
-The president refuses to call out the national guard to control the mob he incited
This is a textbook example of how to pull off a coup. I am confident that the only reason this didn't succeed is that not enough of his cabinet members, including the Vice President, were loyal enough to let it be successful. Pence did order in the national guard. It is unclear if he actually had the authority to do that, but it's a good thing that the military complied, because a loyal military, even a partially loyal military would have cinched this as it has in many, many similar events.
This is not the process by which you save a democracy, it's the process by which you end one.
If you supported trump, if you voted for him, supported him through all of the fuckups, crimes, cruelty and authoritarianism that his regime has committed in his 4 years in office and in the run up to the 2016 election, I want you to think about the fact that you are directly responsible for what happened on Wednesday. You may share that guilt with many other voters and supporters, but you *personally* are also at fault.
You didn't see it when we pointed it out.
You cried "fake news" when we told you.
You accused us of hysterics when we warned you.
You participated in the gaslighting, the coverups, the abuse, and the violence.
You facilitated this. You made it happen.
I have no more patience for the bullshit. You don't belong in civilized society and you don't belong in the fandom.
Your actions have hurt so many. People have died this year as a result of them, even your own. Your actions, and yes, even your words have consequences and rather than trying to shirk your responsibility and shift the blame, maybe you can take this opportunity to reflect on what you have done like an adult. Be prepared for the fact that many will not forgive you. Know that they don’t owe it to you to do so.
May whatever power that exists higher than ours take mercy on you.
[edit: they have another march planned for inauguration day. This one is explicitly armed and with the explicit purpose of preventing Joe Biden from taking office. https://twitter.com/midnucas/status.....574892544?s=20 ]
Now, we see the results of this and 5 years of stoking hate. The dog whistles, the little winks and nods, the tacit support and the overt support.
I want you to put aside the media spin and look at the facts for a second and see if you can imagine how this would be reported if this same thing were happening in Venezuela or a middle eastern country.
-A sitting president refuses to disavow white nationalist support and gives what appears to be a standing order to white nationalist groups
-That same president loses a democratic election. That loss is investigated, recounted, taken to court and found to be correct
-That same president tries numerous times to over-turn the results of that election via backdoor channels
-That same president plants a narrative in right wing media and with his loyalists that the election was stolen despite no evidence
-That same president then specifically requests that his loyalists show up to the capital on the day that the votes of that election will be certified.
-That same president orders his supporters to march on the building where the votes are taking place *with the express purpose of disrupting the vote certification process.*
-Police that were meant to keep the crowd under control are thin that day because of an official decision. Many officers are seen taking selfies with the mob, officers are seen opening gates for them, waving them through. It has now come out that many officers who took the day off were in the crowd flashing their badges in order to bypass security
-The president refuses to call out the national guard to control the mob he incited
This is a textbook example of how to pull off a coup. I am confident that the only reason this didn't succeed is that not enough of his cabinet members, including the Vice President, were loyal enough to let it be successful. Pence did order in the national guard. It is unclear if he actually had the authority to do that, but it's a good thing that the military complied, because a loyal military, even a partially loyal military would have cinched this as it has in many, many similar events.
This is not the process by which you save a democracy, it's the process by which you end one.
If you supported trump, if you voted for him, supported him through all of the fuckups, crimes, cruelty and authoritarianism that his regime has committed in his 4 years in office and in the run up to the 2016 election, I want you to think about the fact that you are directly responsible for what happened on Wednesday. You may share that guilt with many other voters and supporters, but you *personally* are also at fault.
You didn't see it when we pointed it out.
You cried "fake news" when we told you.
You accused us of hysterics when we warned you.
You participated in the gaslighting, the coverups, the abuse, and the violence.
You facilitated this. You made it happen.
I have no more patience for the bullshit. You don't belong in civilized society and you don't belong in the fandom.
Your actions have hurt so many. People have died this year as a result of them, even your own. Your actions, and yes, even your words have consequences and rather than trying to shirk your responsibility and shift the blame, maybe you can take this opportunity to reflect on what you have done like an adult. Be prepared for the fact that many will not forgive you. Know that they don’t owe it to you to do so.
May whatever power that exists higher than ours take mercy on you.
[edit: they have another march planned for inauguration day. This one is explicitly armed and with the explicit purpose of preventing Joe Biden from taking office. https://twitter.com/midnucas/status.....574892544?s=20 ]
I need female harmony vocals
Posted 5 years agoI am working on a cover of "Never going Home" by Pat the Bunny and need someone that can sing a very small harmony part. Hit me up if you have a decent mic.
Bath Salts and Herbal Healing
Posted 6 years agoI have started a 3rd business as an apothecary. I am going to be making bath salts, smudge sticks, teas and other things along those lines. If you are interested, please take a look at the links below.
https://www.facebook.com/tantricapothecary
https://www.etsy.com/shop/TantricApothecary
https://www.facebook.com/tantricapothecary
https://www.etsy.com/shop/TantricApothecary
Why I have left the bellfurs community
Posted 7 years agoThe following is the statement I made in the group chat as to why I was leaving.
"It has come to my attention that white nationalist and far right beliefs are held by some members of the Bellfurs house and it is because of this that with a heavy heart, I must respectfully decline my invitation to this party and take my leave of the bellfurs community.
Home is a place where you feel safe. It's a place where the people sharing that space with you have your back. This community has been my home for many years, but now that time us at an end. No place where the roots of hatred and bigotry are allowed to take hold could ever feel like home to me.
I'd like to thank everyone for the friendship, guidance and camaraderie that I have been graciously given during some of the most well loved and formative years of my life. I could not have asked for better friends. I love you all and I do this with a full understanding that many of you will hold this against me, possibly forever. I don't ask for forgiveness, none is needed. I wish you all the very best that I could possibly wish for you.
~Frets Arpeggio"
"It has come to my attention that white nationalist and far right beliefs are held by some members of the Bellfurs house and it is because of this that with a heavy heart, I must respectfully decline my invitation to this party and take my leave of the bellfurs community.
Home is a place where you feel safe. It's a place where the people sharing that space with you have your back. This community has been my home for many years, but now that time us at an end. No place where the roots of hatred and bigotry are allowed to take hold could ever feel like home to me.
I'd like to thank everyone for the friendship, guidance and camaraderie that I have been graciously given during some of the most well loved and formative years of my life. I could not have asked for better friends. I love you all and I do this with a full understanding that many of you will hold this against me, possibly forever. I don't ask for forgiveness, none is needed. I wish you all the very best that I could possibly wish for you.
~Frets Arpeggio"
Selling some guitars Please help promote
Posted 7 years agoI have put these vintage guitars up on reverb and am hoping to sell them within a week. I am still recovering from moving expenses and have not been able to get as much work in the shop this month as I would have liked. I need to make money for bills and rent.
Retweets are appreciated.
https://twitter.com/DrewsGuitarShop.....16221263138816
https://twitter.com/DrewsGuitarShop.....16583055347712
https://twitter.com/DrewsGuitarShop.....17003312087040
Retweets are appreciated.
https://twitter.com/DrewsGuitarShop.....16221263138816
https://twitter.com/DrewsGuitarShop.....16583055347712
https://twitter.com/DrewsGuitarShop.....17003312087040
Selling instruments. I need to raise a lot of $$$$
Posted 7 years ago****I cannot ship before the move. I will not have time to ship until after the move and shipping must be covered by the buyrer. This listing is *mostly* for local pickup only in the Seattle area*****
I am selling some guitars, A Hammond M3 chop and a rare electric piano to help raise funds for moving. Collectively, the roommates and I need to raise about $5000 by Thursday. Please pass these links along to anyone that might be interested.
The piano is a Helpinstill 64 key spinnet, the non-folding one. Its in great condition. $500
Here are the ads for the other instruments:
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....542739328.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....536472479.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....536453494.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....512462566.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....512471293.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....512472662.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....512470748.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....512463696.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....512463176.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....512461723.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....512461280.html
I am selling some guitars, A Hammond M3 chop and a rare electric piano to help raise funds for moving. Collectively, the roommates and I need to raise about $5000 by Thursday. Please pass these links along to anyone that might be interested.
The piano is a Helpinstill 64 key spinnet, the non-folding one. Its in great condition. $500
Here are the ads for the other instruments:
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....542739328.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....536472479.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....536453494.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....512462566.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....512471293.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....512472662.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....512470748.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....512463696.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....512463176.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....512461723.html
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/.....512461280.html
If you use OKC you should delete your account with them
Posted 8 years agoOKC is now requiring users to use their real names.
I wrote that my reason for leaving was that they have been making the site suck more and more the last few months and that this last change was a HARD no because no one should be forced to use their real name on a site specifically set up to to meet strangers for dating and sex.
This makes it easier for predators and stalkers to dox you and opens users with kinky interests to blackmail and possibly losing their jobs.
FUCK. THAT.
I wrote that my reason for leaving was that they have been making the site suck more and more the last few months and that this last change was a HARD no because no one should be forced to use their real name on a site specifically set up to to meet strangers for dating and sex.
This makes it easier for predators and stalkers to dox you and opens users with kinky interests to blackmail and possibly losing their jobs.
FUCK. THAT.
Mens Day Post
Posted 8 years agoIt's ok to include men in talks on how fucked up gender and sexuality are. It effects us too. Talking to men about this is the only way that much of this is going to get any better. If you are male and have learned to suck less, you have a responsibly and duty to do just that. Understanding how we were raised, the baggage, the damage and the expectations placed upon us and tearing them apart is how you fight this.
Talking to women, transpeople, and in general people with a different perspective from yours and not taking personally every negative story about men is how you fight this. It's not about invalidating your own experience, and your own suffering, its about learning that this is a shared struggle an actively working on ways to improve things.
This is how I got better. If you were raised male and think that you don't need to process these things. Think again. It is all men. Every single one of us. And you know what? That's ok and I will tell you why.
Every single person regardless of what gender they are has been saddles with bullshit since birth. Every one. All of us. There is one key difference as I see it however and that is that men have both the power not to care and societal pressure to specifically not think about this. Most women I have met have carefully considered the kinds of conditioning and baggage that were laid on them since childhood and how these things relate to how they treat themselves and others. They have made attempts at contextualizing and understanding them. Not a single trans person will have made the journey they have and not thought about that conditioning and that baggage heavily and also tried their best to contextualize and understand what it did and what it means.
Men, we are the only ones that don't do this.
Think about the ways we were taught to interact with love interests. We have been taught that persistence [stalking] wins the day. That "taking charge" [often strait up sexual assault] is what we are supposed to do. The way we have learned to talk to women is laid out as some playbook, a secret code that has to be cracked, a manipulation that has to take place in order for us to succeed romantically rather than to simply talk to women as other human beings. We have been taught that failure at talking to love interests, or that having love interests that are not women, or that having no romantic or sexual drive makes us less than "men" and that is a load of objective crap.
We have been taught that violence is an acceptable way to deal with our anger. "Boys will be boys" "let them fight it out" "let him tire himself out" etc. People make these excuses for us because they expect us not to be capable of better and we take it because its privilege. We have the anger we do, often times, because we are taught that accepting out fear also makes us less and that we should never talk about it or let people know we are experiencing it. We are often literally taught to direct our fear outward as rage.
We bottle up our sadness, we often redirect it as cruelty because our suffering must have some meaning and we find that through a fucked up mean world syndrome that we inflict on others. We are taught that acts of casual meanness, and sometimes outright cruelty "build character" or "show camaraderie" and ignore the fact that these traumas damage us.
What's worse, because we are taught that these things are normal, we do this to each other and ourselves so that we can feel like we belong.
Well, you are an adult now and you don't have to. You make the choice of how you act. What you take onboard. You decide whats acceptable.
Part of growing up, part of being a man, is making an informed, intelligent choice about what you do with your life and the person you build yourself into.
It's better to do that if you have the full picture.
The full picture is that we all have shit we need to work through if we are going to do this right and become people who's lives and actions are worth being proud of. It all starts with us. Every one of us. It's a problem who's solution lies inward, not outward.
Every day, every moment and every action is a new choice. Every part of ourselves is constantly being created and we have the power to direct how it grows.
Be brave enough to be uncomfortable. You will be.
Be brave enough to admit fault.
Be brave enough to admit the damage.
Most of all, strive to be a better person.
That's my 2 cents for #InternationalMensDay
Talking to women, transpeople, and in general people with a different perspective from yours and not taking personally every negative story about men is how you fight this. It's not about invalidating your own experience, and your own suffering, its about learning that this is a shared struggle an actively working on ways to improve things.
This is how I got better. If you were raised male and think that you don't need to process these things. Think again. It is all men. Every single one of us. And you know what? That's ok and I will tell you why.
Every single person regardless of what gender they are has been saddles with bullshit since birth. Every one. All of us. There is one key difference as I see it however and that is that men have both the power not to care and societal pressure to specifically not think about this. Most women I have met have carefully considered the kinds of conditioning and baggage that were laid on them since childhood and how these things relate to how they treat themselves and others. They have made attempts at contextualizing and understanding them. Not a single trans person will have made the journey they have and not thought about that conditioning and that baggage heavily and also tried their best to contextualize and understand what it did and what it means.
Men, we are the only ones that don't do this.
Think about the ways we were taught to interact with love interests. We have been taught that persistence [stalking] wins the day. That "taking charge" [often strait up sexual assault] is what we are supposed to do. The way we have learned to talk to women is laid out as some playbook, a secret code that has to be cracked, a manipulation that has to take place in order for us to succeed romantically rather than to simply talk to women as other human beings. We have been taught that failure at talking to love interests, or that having love interests that are not women, or that having no romantic or sexual drive makes us less than "men" and that is a load of objective crap.
We have been taught that violence is an acceptable way to deal with our anger. "Boys will be boys" "let them fight it out" "let him tire himself out" etc. People make these excuses for us because they expect us not to be capable of better and we take it because its privilege. We have the anger we do, often times, because we are taught that accepting out fear also makes us less and that we should never talk about it or let people know we are experiencing it. We are often literally taught to direct our fear outward as rage.
We bottle up our sadness, we often redirect it as cruelty because our suffering must have some meaning and we find that through a fucked up mean world syndrome that we inflict on others. We are taught that acts of casual meanness, and sometimes outright cruelty "build character" or "show camaraderie" and ignore the fact that these traumas damage us.
What's worse, because we are taught that these things are normal, we do this to each other and ourselves so that we can feel like we belong.
Well, you are an adult now and you don't have to. You make the choice of how you act. What you take onboard. You decide whats acceptable.
Part of growing up, part of being a man, is making an informed, intelligent choice about what you do with your life and the person you build yourself into.
It's better to do that if you have the full picture.
The full picture is that we all have shit we need to work through if we are going to do this right and become people who's lives and actions are worth being proud of. It all starts with us. Every one of us. It's a problem who's solution lies inward, not outward.
Every day, every moment and every action is a new choice. Every part of ourselves is constantly being created and we have the power to direct how it grows.
Be brave enough to be uncomfortable. You will be.
Be brave enough to admit fault.
Be brave enough to admit the damage.
Most of all, strive to be a better person.
That's my 2 cents for #InternationalMensDay
I Started FB Group for Buddhist Furries and Interested Furs
Posted 8 years agoIf you would like to join, please feel free to send a request or ask me to add you :)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/392218621195058/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/392218621195058/
I Just Finished Neon Genesis Evangelion for the First Time
Posted 8 years agoSo I just finished up Neon Genesis Evangelion. It's my first time making it all the way through this series and I have some thoughts. I'd say spoiler alert, but I am pretty sure I am the last person on the planet that hadn't watched the whole thing, so here it goes...
I avoided the fuck out of this series years ago because my initial thoughts were "oh, giant robots, teens, never seen that trope 🙄" I gave it a chance because I was told by numerous pple who's opinions on media have proven reliable that there was a lot more to it. So yeah, I agree. If you can make it through the mech battle circle jerk episodes at the onset, the series gets really good really fast. They actually DO things with the characters who all experience a lot of development, explanation and back stories. They aren't afraid to hurt them, or you in telling the story, which for this story is important.
I'll tell you something else too, I LIKED the ending. It had issues to be sure, but, I liked what they did with it. I was told that the ending sucked and everyone hated it, but like, tbh, I was told that by a lot of people who...to put this kindly...never really demonstrated an ability to tolerate artistic license, or appreciation for self reflection or philosophy, which the ending is a very heavy dose of. A lot of very heavy and important ACTUALLY deep messages about identity, ones place in the world, meaning of life etc. It's a coming of age story so at least touching on some of that is bound to happen, but I wasn't expecting LSD trip level introspection.
I also enjoyed that they touched on same sex love, actual deep, supportive love for a moment. That was VERY cool for the time. Holy fuck.
So, I am a fan of it. I like it. It's good. I recommend it. I wish I had watched this in my early twenties or teens. I regret not.
I avoided the fuck out of this series years ago because my initial thoughts were "oh, giant robots, teens, never seen that trope 🙄" I gave it a chance because I was told by numerous pple who's opinions on media have proven reliable that there was a lot more to it. So yeah, I agree. If you can make it through the mech battle circle jerk episodes at the onset, the series gets really good really fast. They actually DO things with the characters who all experience a lot of development, explanation and back stories. They aren't afraid to hurt them, or you in telling the story, which for this story is important.
I'll tell you something else too, I LIKED the ending. It had issues to be sure, but, I liked what they did with it. I was told that the ending sucked and everyone hated it, but like, tbh, I was told that by a lot of people who...to put this kindly...never really demonstrated an ability to tolerate artistic license, or appreciation for self reflection or philosophy, which the ending is a very heavy dose of. A lot of very heavy and important ACTUALLY deep messages about identity, ones place in the world, meaning of life etc. It's a coming of age story so at least touching on some of that is bound to happen, but I wasn't expecting LSD trip level introspection.
I also enjoyed that they touched on same sex love, actual deep, supportive love for a moment. That was VERY cool for the time. Holy fuck.
So, I am a fan of it. I like it. It's good. I recommend it. I wish I had watched this in my early twenties or teens. I regret not.
I'm selling a violin. $200
Posted 8 years agoI Recorded a Reading of the Heart Sutra
Posted 8 years agoAlt-right, Fascism, Racism & "SJWs"
Posted 8 years agoThere was some shit in my feed earlier about some study that showed that though most americans reject the KKK and Nazis, that they actually share a lot of the same beliefs. This person in the original tweets seemed shocked, but, nah, I buy that. I'd take that bet any day. Basically, I think most people are racist, or classist, or have some kind of ist that they just never bother to really question. Myself included. I was racist as fuck for years. I was misogynistic as fuck for years. I got better but probably still hold a lot of shitty beliefs. I think the difference these days is that I have had to deconstruct that shit in my head so much these days that I don't get offended if I get called out on shit I say because I now see my self, my upbringing and everything about it as potentially fallible, which it is.
Fact is, I think most people don't really think about things they think do or say or what they believe too much. It's a lot of work to really THINK about why it is that you do anything or what motivates it. I don't think most people do and I also think most never really will So when someone tells me "SJWs are a minority" well, yeah, I am inclined to believe that. It makes more sense than the alternative. What I wont swallow though is the narrative that SJWs are wrong or bad. I think that actually, the more likely scenario is that most people just flippantly don't give a fuck about others, their behavior or their belief structure and that the few that do are horrified by what they see in the world and want desperately to do something about it its just that trying to explain that to others is impossible unless those people see any reason to decide to stop flippantly not giving a fuck about how they treat others.
There-in lays the problem. You see this phrase around a lot: "I am just not sure how to explain that you should care about others." I feel like if someone could come up with a good answer to that that a lot of the worlds problems could be fixed faster and better. I spent a lot of time wasting my breath trying to explain this to one of my exes when we were still dating. It never made a fucknote of difference. He would say things like "Other people are 100% responsible for their emotions and what I say or do shouldn't effect them" Seriously. Funny thing was, any time anyone ever said something even remotely rude or hurtful to him, he would fixate on it for days, let it ruin his mood, let it ruin his relationships, jobs. The guy was actually kind of a mess. Thing is, even pointing out the hypocrisy of this behavior didn't fucking matter because he still bought the idea that other people were 100% responsible for what they felt and all that offended snowflake bullshit that the alt-right loves spewing.
I think he hated himself for it tbh, deep down.
I probably think about these fights we had more often than I should. I just feel like if I had ever come up with an answer that mattered to him that it might be the answer to that question "I don't know how to explain why you should care about people." The closest I have come to this is thinking about this concept of interconnectedness that is talked about a lot in buddhism. That is to say, not a single person or man made thing is brought into this world and survives just on its own. Every one of us owes our existence and and everything we have to an infinite web of happenstance and the effort of others and that we are dependent on it. So, you, the body you live in is only here because your parents fucked, your mom ate enough food to nourish you, that food was grown and provided to her by thousands of people who work on farms, in transportation, in selling, doctors, nurses, and on and on. You where brought into this world, the product of the universe itself and by the efforts of millions of people. This gets a little etherial. However, the point I am making still stands and is that not a single one of us is NOT dependent on others.
Even down to the state that we inhabit. Being treated cruelly by someone will make us feel like shit. That's The thing that they don't buy. Yet, even in alt-right circles, you look at what they complain about, listen to what they are scared of, its the same shit. They are afraid of being treated badly, just like everyone else. They don't see their emotions as being this unshakable fortress that they seem to expect from others. Instead, they simply lack the ability to bring that thinking to the next level and apply it outwardly to others. In fact, I would argue that the culture they exist in also makes them afraid to do that very thing. They are more scared than anyone. I'm sure I am preaching to the quire for the most part on every point here, and I'm not going to tell you to go out an hug nazis, but, It is worth keeping this in mind maybe when talking to centrists, or young people who are brainwashed by an ideology that gives them an identity and makes them feel like they belong, or someone who might be on shaky ground when it comes to where they are going with all this. All of them have some ism that they probably aren't even aware of, or wouldn't even know how to question. All of them are scared of being hurt.
Fact is, I think most people don't really think about things they think do or say or what they believe too much. It's a lot of work to really THINK about why it is that you do anything or what motivates it. I don't think most people do and I also think most never really will So when someone tells me "SJWs are a minority" well, yeah, I am inclined to believe that. It makes more sense than the alternative. What I wont swallow though is the narrative that SJWs are wrong or bad. I think that actually, the more likely scenario is that most people just flippantly don't give a fuck about others, their behavior or their belief structure and that the few that do are horrified by what they see in the world and want desperately to do something about it its just that trying to explain that to others is impossible unless those people see any reason to decide to stop flippantly not giving a fuck about how they treat others.
There-in lays the problem. You see this phrase around a lot: "I am just not sure how to explain that you should care about others." I feel like if someone could come up with a good answer to that that a lot of the worlds problems could be fixed faster and better. I spent a lot of time wasting my breath trying to explain this to one of my exes when we were still dating. It never made a fucknote of difference. He would say things like "Other people are 100% responsible for their emotions and what I say or do shouldn't effect them" Seriously. Funny thing was, any time anyone ever said something even remotely rude or hurtful to him, he would fixate on it for days, let it ruin his mood, let it ruin his relationships, jobs. The guy was actually kind of a mess. Thing is, even pointing out the hypocrisy of this behavior didn't fucking matter because he still bought the idea that other people were 100% responsible for what they felt and all that offended snowflake bullshit that the alt-right loves spewing.
I think he hated himself for it tbh, deep down.
I probably think about these fights we had more often than I should. I just feel like if I had ever come up with an answer that mattered to him that it might be the answer to that question "I don't know how to explain why you should care about people." The closest I have come to this is thinking about this concept of interconnectedness that is talked about a lot in buddhism. That is to say, not a single person or man made thing is brought into this world and survives just on its own. Every one of us owes our existence and and everything we have to an infinite web of happenstance and the effort of others and that we are dependent on it. So, you, the body you live in is only here because your parents fucked, your mom ate enough food to nourish you, that food was grown and provided to her by thousands of people who work on farms, in transportation, in selling, doctors, nurses, and on and on. You where brought into this world, the product of the universe itself and by the efforts of millions of people. This gets a little etherial. However, the point I am making still stands and is that not a single one of us is NOT dependent on others.
Even down to the state that we inhabit. Being treated cruelly by someone will make us feel like shit. That's The thing that they don't buy. Yet, even in alt-right circles, you look at what they complain about, listen to what they are scared of, its the same shit. They are afraid of being treated badly, just like everyone else. They don't see their emotions as being this unshakable fortress that they seem to expect from others. Instead, they simply lack the ability to bring that thinking to the next level and apply it outwardly to others. In fact, I would argue that the culture they exist in also makes them afraid to do that very thing. They are more scared than anyone. I'm sure I am preaching to the quire for the most part on every point here, and I'm not going to tell you to go out an hug nazis, but, It is worth keeping this in mind maybe when talking to centrists, or young people who are brainwashed by an ideology that gives them an identity and makes them feel like they belong, or someone who might be on shaky ground when it comes to where they are going with all this. All of them have some ism that they probably aren't even aware of, or wouldn't even know how to question. All of them are scared of being hurt.
Trump Says No Trans in the Military
Posted 8 years agoTrump has decided to let everyone know that the military will not be accepting able bodied passionate soldiers willing to fight and die for a country that clearly doesn't support them, but you know, he held the flag upside down at that rally once, so he must still be on our side.
I wrote up instructions for polishing frets
Posted 8 years agoI'm not asking anyone to read this, but if you do, I would appreciate feedback negative or positive if you have it. This will be going on my website once I have those demo videos made. I especially value input from novices and people who don't know anything about guitars.
Polishing Frets
Polishing the frets might sound like it’s just a cosmetic matter, but it’s a bit more than just looks. While yes, cleaning up your frets will help your guitar look nice and shiny, you are also removing a lot of film and build-up which can hurt tone, prevent corrosion and oxidation which can stain the fretboard and your fingers and possibly extend the life of your frets.
Most guitars are fretted using “nickel silver” which is an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc. This alloy can oxidize which causes it to turn colors which can sometimes leach into the fretboard and also stain your fingers. Sometimes this oxidation can even form a gritty crystal like powdery material that can be really gross, but also be fairly abrasive against the fret wire. The later is an extreme case, but I have seen it enough that I thought it was worth mentioning.
One of the main reasons you want to clean your frets is that the gunk that builds up on them, while gross can also hurt your tone. Your strings sound best when they are pressed against a hard piece of metal. When that metal is covered in gunk, you are fretting your string against gunk. This can have the effect of making your strings sound dead, or even slightly muted.
There are a number of methods I use for cleaning frets depending on the type of fretboard and type of frets I am dealing with. I’ll cover the basics here.
Maple Fretboards
Maple fretboards are different from rosewood or ebony because they are covered in a clear coat to protect the wood from oxidizing and reacting with your skin. Not all fretboards with clear coat are maple, but all maple fretboards will have some kind of finish. Notable non-maple finished boards might be the finished bubinga board that you see on some Rickenbackers. Anyway, the reason I mention these first is that I DON’T want to hear about people taking steel wool to an unprotected finished board. It will make the finish look horrible and might even strip it off.
Method 1 ( video demonstration yet to be made)
Don’t use this method on older instruments or ones where the finish has worn through in spots.
On newer guitars (1980s and newer) that have that thick poly finish on their boards, I will usually opt for the quickest method which is to take a clean rag or shop towel with a little bit of Meguiar's polishing compound on it and just give the frets a nice hand rubbed polish. The polishing compound -is- abrasive so this is not something you want to do every day, but if you keep this to a “when it needs it” ,basis and focus on the frets, not the finish, you shouldn’t have any issues. To clean up the gunk left over by the polishing compound, use a different clean rag or shop towel with with a healthy spritzing of Dunlop 65 cleaner/polish.
Method 2 (video demonstration yet to be made)
(When doing this on electric guitars, take the blue painters tape you will be using and tape over the pickups to prevent steel wool fibers from sticking to them. It’s a pain in the butt when that happens!)
This method is particularly recommendable on older instruments or on instruments that have had the finish worn through in some spots You can use some blue painters tape, preferably after reducing its adhesion by sticking it a few times to your T-shirt and mask the finish between the frets. You can mask the whole board at once, or if you are like me and like to save a little in material, you can use the same pieces several times and just do one fret at a time like I demonstrate here ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb_.....1qw&t=111s ). When you have the board masked off, you can use 0000 or 00000 steel wool to clean up the frets safely without damaging the board. To clean the steel wool dust, take the guitar away from your work surface (and anything you don’t want steel wool on) an BLOW THE DUST OFF. Do not wipe, scrub or brush it away. It is abrasive and will scratch the finish of the instrument.
Rosewood and ebony fretboards
Unlike maple fretboards, rosewood and ebony are typically just bare wood with no finish. This means you can be a little rougher with them while cleaning and take steel wool directly to them. On electric guitars, you will still want to mask off the pickups to prevent steel wool fibers from sticking to them. To repeat what I said above, because this is worth repeating, it is a pain in the butt when steel wool fibers stick to magnetic pickups.
So, for cleaning frets on unfinished fretboards, simply take some 0000 or 00000 steel wool and clean the frets directly. I like to take five or so light strokes per fret going against the grain but along the fret to start out so I can really get into the corners at the base of the fret. Then I will follow that up by doing a bunch of strokes with the grain to give both the frets and the board a nice shine.
To clean the steel wool dust, take the guitar away from your work surface (and anything you don’t want steel wool on) an BLOW THE DUST OFF. Do not wipe, scrub or brush it away. It is abrasive and will scratch the finish of the instrument.
When I do this here at the shop, I will also follow up by taking the fretboard to my buffing wheel and really giving those frets a heck of a nice shine.
On unfinished boards, you should follow up fret cleaning by conditioning the fretboard.
Polishing Frets
Polishing the frets might sound like it’s just a cosmetic matter, but it’s a bit more than just looks. While yes, cleaning up your frets will help your guitar look nice and shiny, you are also removing a lot of film and build-up which can hurt tone, prevent corrosion and oxidation which can stain the fretboard and your fingers and possibly extend the life of your frets.
Most guitars are fretted using “nickel silver” which is an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc. This alloy can oxidize which causes it to turn colors which can sometimes leach into the fretboard and also stain your fingers. Sometimes this oxidation can even form a gritty crystal like powdery material that can be really gross, but also be fairly abrasive against the fret wire. The later is an extreme case, but I have seen it enough that I thought it was worth mentioning.
One of the main reasons you want to clean your frets is that the gunk that builds up on them, while gross can also hurt your tone. Your strings sound best when they are pressed against a hard piece of metal. When that metal is covered in gunk, you are fretting your string against gunk. This can have the effect of making your strings sound dead, or even slightly muted.
There are a number of methods I use for cleaning frets depending on the type of fretboard and type of frets I am dealing with. I’ll cover the basics here.
Maple Fretboards
Maple fretboards are different from rosewood or ebony because they are covered in a clear coat to protect the wood from oxidizing and reacting with your skin. Not all fretboards with clear coat are maple, but all maple fretboards will have some kind of finish. Notable non-maple finished boards might be the finished bubinga board that you see on some Rickenbackers. Anyway, the reason I mention these first is that I DON’T want to hear about people taking steel wool to an unprotected finished board. It will make the finish look horrible and might even strip it off.
Method 1 ( video demonstration yet to be made)
Don’t use this method on older instruments or ones where the finish has worn through in spots.
On newer guitars (1980s and newer) that have that thick poly finish on their boards, I will usually opt for the quickest method which is to take a clean rag or shop towel with a little bit of Meguiar's polishing compound on it and just give the frets a nice hand rubbed polish. The polishing compound -is- abrasive so this is not something you want to do every day, but if you keep this to a “when it needs it” ,basis and focus on the frets, not the finish, you shouldn’t have any issues. To clean up the gunk left over by the polishing compound, use a different clean rag or shop towel with with a healthy spritzing of Dunlop 65 cleaner/polish.
Method 2 (video demonstration yet to be made)
(When doing this on electric guitars, take the blue painters tape you will be using and tape over the pickups to prevent steel wool fibers from sticking to them. It’s a pain in the butt when that happens!)
This method is particularly recommendable on older instruments or on instruments that have had the finish worn through in some spots You can use some blue painters tape, preferably after reducing its adhesion by sticking it a few times to your T-shirt and mask the finish between the frets. You can mask the whole board at once, or if you are like me and like to save a little in material, you can use the same pieces several times and just do one fret at a time like I demonstrate here ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb_.....1qw&t=111s ). When you have the board masked off, you can use 0000 or 00000 steel wool to clean up the frets safely without damaging the board. To clean the steel wool dust, take the guitar away from your work surface (and anything you don’t want steel wool on) an BLOW THE DUST OFF. Do not wipe, scrub or brush it away. It is abrasive and will scratch the finish of the instrument.
Rosewood and ebony fretboards
Unlike maple fretboards, rosewood and ebony are typically just bare wood with no finish. This means you can be a little rougher with them while cleaning and take steel wool directly to them. On electric guitars, you will still want to mask off the pickups to prevent steel wool fibers from sticking to them. To repeat what I said above, because this is worth repeating, it is a pain in the butt when steel wool fibers stick to magnetic pickups.
So, for cleaning frets on unfinished fretboards, simply take some 0000 or 00000 steel wool and clean the frets directly. I like to take five or so light strokes per fret going against the grain but along the fret to start out so I can really get into the corners at the base of the fret. Then I will follow that up by doing a bunch of strokes with the grain to give both the frets and the board a nice shine.
To clean the steel wool dust, take the guitar away from your work surface (and anything you don’t want steel wool on) an BLOW THE DUST OFF. Do not wipe, scrub or brush it away. It is abrasive and will scratch the finish of the instrument.
When I do this here at the shop, I will also follow up by taking the fretboard to my buffing wheel and really giving those frets a heck of a nice shine.
On unfinished boards, you should follow up fret cleaning by conditioning the fretboard.
I just got done building a REALLY cool guitar
Posted 8 years agoPics soon!
