SemiAntics

The title of this entry is the title of a math lecture I went to a couple of years ago. It was all about these things called difference equations. They are interesting little buggers, or so they say. I haven’t studied them. The point was that there hunks of gold lying around for researchers to pick up; well, at least write papers on, since the fodder of mathematicians is published papers. To be complete, I should mention that the lecture was by Dr. Candace Kent at VCU.

I thought it was appropriate and relative to something that happened to me the other day. I know that I’m falling into the trap of the proverbial “blogger”; that is, thinking that you care what happened to me the other day. Well, assuming you do want to know, I’ll continue the story. I have a friend in the computer science department here that I had barely known for the last couple years. I still don’t really know him, but I did know that he plays guitar, so I invited him over to see if we could get along musically. It turns out that he (in my opinion) is a gifted musician with a really good grasp of theory. Most people that play guitar (and even more of those that teach themselves) never learn to read music and never learn how to make whatever chords they want just by the notes they need.

This was an exciting find for me; I never would have suspected he was such a good musician. It just goes to show what good things are lying about waiting for you to discover them.

On June 5th, 2007, Dream Theater will be releasing their 9th album, Systematic Chaos. Are you ready?

You can hear a snippet of one of the songs on YouTube. It sounds like it will be a really good album. I’m not a huge fan of Octovarium, their last album, but of all the rest I am hugely fanlike. I will be buying this one when it comes out.

Dream Theater will be touring nearby (Charlotte NC, and somewhere in NJ).

Learn more about Dream Theater at Wikipedia, or buy one of their albums on half.ebay.com.

Ever since Grace and I went to see Carbon Leaf last year, I’ve been listening to their music more than any other music I own. And I have a lot of music.

The first time I heard them was live at the Canal Club in Shockoe Bottom in Richmond. They were really great as a live band, and I didn’t even mind all the smoke as much as I thought I would. We went there on fully bellys after eating next door at Bottoms Up Pizza (really great pizza). The whole trip was something that VCU put on. It cost $10 for a $14 Carbon Leaf ticket and dinner, plus transportation both ways in a charter bus (for the six of us that went). What a deal!

After the concert we bought their latest cd, “Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat.” Grace later bought me “Indian Summer” for my birthday. Now I have them both in my car, and I have put them on my computer (as ogg files, of course). I listen to them a ton.

Carbon Leaf’s music isn’t technical, which is usually why I like music. It’s just very nice. I guess some people would describe it as pop, but I don’t think that’s right. Maybe just call it down-to-earth music that happens to have some folk/pop/rock influences. Whatever it is, it’s right for me, right now.

My favorite songs:

1. What about everything?
2. Under the wire
3. One prarie outpost
4. Let your troubles roll by
5. Comfort
6. Life less ordinary
7. The war was in color

If you want to get in on the Carbon Leaf craze, here is their website: www.carbonleaf.com.

You can also buy their CDs from pretty much any place that sells CDs, but Plan 9 has them, as well as eBay and half.com.

Finally, check out the upcoming dates: Charlottesville, Blacksburg, Williamsburg, etc. If you have a chance, go see them!

Let me know what you think.