modemgirl

if you want to troubleshoot your life you have to do it in the same way we troubleshoot anything else – from the ground up.

in networking, we use the 7 layer OSI model to divide an entire system into smaller sub-systems. various functions of network communication are isolated to specific layers, with each layer dependent on the ones it below it to function properly. layer seven is the ‘application layer’ which, as i’m sure you can deduce, is where your applications run. at the other end of the model is layer 1, which focuses on the physical – does your computer have power? are all the cables plugged in? layers 2-6 cover everything in between. the layered model gives us a logical and consistent way to approach problems, because there’s no point worrying about the upper layers until we are satisfied the lower layers are functioning properly. there’s no sense in adjusting web browser settings when the cable to your router is unplugged, right?

when i first was introduced to the OSI layer, it struck as having some remarkable parallels to maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a concept i first encountered during my time as a psychology undergrad. a similar layered approach, but in relation to human needs and motivation.

if your body isn’t happy then there’s no real point worrying about “upper layer” concepts such as relationships, career, spiritual enlightenment, etc – because any changes you make are going to be running on top of a suboptimal physical platform. this doesn’t mean that you’re doomed unless you’re going to the gym 15 times a week, only eating super healthy and going to bed early every day. it DOES mean that if you want to progress as a human YOU need to learn to listen to and learn to take care of your body, mind and soul.

fresh air. vegetables. exercise. WATER. endorphins will literally save your life. i don’t want to preach, but seriously – the difference in the quality of my life from when i was sendentary +  eating crap + inside all the time + no exercise compared to now where i make an effort to get outside + exercise at least once a day + drink a zillion glasses of water + no more smoking + healthier eating is extraordinary. plus i no longer feel guilty for NOT doing all those things – which in turn improves my overall sense of self esteem. the spiral works in both ways you know – up and down.

once you start getting layer 1 on track, you’ll start to find other things fall into place. when your body is functioning optimally you’ll find that your mind feels clearer and you’ll be able to approach relationships, work, every day life more rationally and efficiently. when your blood sugar isn’t constantly going up and down you will begin to have a sense of control over your life, and you’ll sleep better. when you’re well rested, you’ll make better decisions, and begin to deal with stress efficiently instead of relying on vices to distract you from aspects of your life you’re not happy with.

i think the society we exist within often inflicts a sense of lost control over our lives. as small cogs in a giant machine, we feel as though we are victims/products of society, and that nothing we do makes a difference. responsibility for our condition becomes externally focussed, and we don’t take ownership of our own lives. taking charge of ‘layer one’ is a huge step towards realizing that ultimately we ARE responsible – we don’t always have control over everything, but we ARE in charge of maintaining the hardware that we have to work with.

the more i learn about being a human, the more i realize that we are just extremely complicated machines. we all have our routines and behavioural patterns, and sometimes life could be so much more efficient with just a bit of fine tuning. sometimes unexplainable things happen, but it’s usually because there are forces at work that we just don’t understand. successful performance requires proper maintenance, service packs, QA and regular audits. call me a cyborg, but i like to think of it as being a sysadmin for my own life.

modemgirl has a new toy! last week i had an incredibly synchronistic run-in with a couple of old friends from cities far away, that ended up with me being in possession of a roland MC-307.

i’ve played around with digital sound production a little bit, using software + midi (using things like reason) but…. ugh. i work at a computer professionally, so the appeal of sitting in front of one when i get home is… minimal. (but not the good kind, like you want. ) that, combined with all the midi mapping and sound card latency and the hey hey hey let’s spend all our time trying to make things play nice, i’ve never really gotten anywhere working on music digitally.

last spring i purchased a “new” set of tech 12s which have been keeping me occupied for the last few months (sold my old ones in 2005 to go to burningman :p) – but what i really want to do is to write my own music.  so i decided once i paid off some debt i would  make my first timid steps into the land of analog (or well, at least physically tactile, we’re not quite generating sine waves from scratch over here…) gear.

and now, here i am – will be completely debt free in a month (hurray!) and little roland pretty much falls into my lap. awesome!! and it even comes with a nice boy who wants friends to jam with – he’s a professional sound guy / producer / dj / old old old friend that has just recently moved super close to me and has a studio full of blinky shit!) so…. pretty much the best thing ever.

i think it’s time to make the floor burn!

the 307 is awesome… i mean, it’s by no means the fanciest or the best, but it’s hilarious. it is made to make RAVE MUSIC. so cheesy. which i love. some people say the interface is weird or hard to use, but i really have no basis for comparison so it seems manageable for me. i’m having a lot of fun learning to use it (BLINKY SHIT)!!