Well, this is actually an easy one, thanks to Keyboard Maestro. Create a new macro, name it whatever you want (I did Lock Computer), and then for actions, choose “Execute Shell Script”. Change your options to “Execute text script” and “Ignore results”, then paste the following into the window:

The end result should look something like this:

Assign whatever hotkey you want (Cmd-Opt-Ctrl-L for me), and you’re good to go!

A roar of thunder follows, washing over you, penetrating your soul and shaking you to the core.

Another flash, and another. Some close by, others far away. The sky is illuminated, the landscape drawn in an artistic and macabre scene.

The thunder varies. A crack so loud you jump. A rumble here and there. A soft growl that’s drawn on for so long, it terrifies you more than the loud ones.

And then the drops begins to fall. Just a few at first, then more, until the rhythmic “plops” become a constant. Soothing and cool, it washes over everything with a cleansing vigor.

You stand in the rain, eyes closed. You can still see the lightning through closed lids, and feel the thunder as it shakes you, but you no longer care.

Nature washes the fear away.

The storm rages on, but the rain cleanses us of our worry.

Calm.

Serene.

Peace.

One thing I’ve discovered recently is how different artistic endeavors can get in the way of one another. Prime example: I was in the middle of a book the other day, and I couldn’t get a musical jingle out of my head. I’m on a self-imposed break from recording, but I knew that if I didn’t put the idea I had down, it would drive me nuts.

It’s similar to when you get that random, horrible song stuck in your head. You either need to go look it up on YouTube, or sing it as loudly as possible, right? If you don’t, it’s going to distract you for days.

Brain dumps are healthy for you. Being able to focus on the moment at hand and not dwell on something else is key for us to be able to get through our lives. When you’re not distracted by other things. And this doesn’t just apply to artistic outlets. Frustrated with something? Jot it down. talk about it. Meditate on it. Concentrate on it fully for a few minutes, get it off your chest, and then stop letting it bother you. Like this post, which I’ve been thinking about for over a week now.

Perhaps I should back up a bit and recap everything that’s happened.

For those that either don’t converse with me frequently, or those that are just that far out of the loop… my mom was diagnosed with cancer in January, and lost her battle just over a month later. I was working in Cedar Rapids, IA, but moved back home to Cedar Falls (an hour drive) to be closer to my dad and to take a new job as a software developer (something I never thought I’d be doing). I’m also waking up stupid early tomorrow morning so I can start a 10-week fitness program before going to said new job.

On my birthday in February (2 days after my mother passed, actually), I released my first EP, Sailing. It’s a bunch of down-tempo, instrumental ambient music. Maybe it’s not your thing, but I’m pretty proud of it, and would love to have you check it out.

I graduated last May. I’ve been single for almost a year now. I’ve quit a high-paying job because of the stress. I’ve handed out lemons to strangers. I’ve learned how to make some of the best barbecue that you’ll ever eat in your life (seriously). I’ve held off re-installing World of Warcraft for a long, long time.

So yeah. Life is changing, and I’m going to get behind the wheel and steer it a little. Tired of flapping in the breeze and wandering aimlessly. Here’s the short list of things right now:

• New job
• Working out 5x a week (hopefully dropping 20 lbs.)
• More blogging… I’m not setting an amount, but I’ll be writing more.
• More reading.
• More music making.

I don’t have comments on my blog (spammers and trolls, yay!), but you can certainly tweet me or email me. I’d be happy to respond or chat about stuff.

I firmly believe that every person on this planet has a purpose and a mission. They will touch the lives of people and make a lasting impact on the world. It’s been a few hours since my mother passed, and she’s STILL taking me to school, even if it is indirectly.

1) I’ve received a tremendous amount of support from family and friends. A wonderful gent has offered to drive 4 hours to buy me a drink. Another person I’ve barely spoken to sent me a great message of encouragement. I’ll be honest, some of these are coming from way out of left field. Lots of people I haven’t talked to in a long, long time. And that’s sad. I need to be better about staying connected with my friends. And not just “here’s a Facebook message” or “here’s a tweet” connected.

2) I feel guilty about smiling right now. I had a couple of friends send me funny images to cheer me up. And I laughed really hard… and then immediately felt guilty for it. And that’s stupid. I’m not honoring my mom any less by being in a morbid funk. If she was here, she’d tell me to stop pouting or a little bird will come and land on my lip.

2.5) I have a feeling “your mom” jokes won’t be funny for quite a while.

3) Every negative emotion that I feel right now stems from selfishness. My birthday is Wednesday, which also coincides with the release of my first album. Valentine’s Day is Thursday. May 1 would’ve been my parent’s 32nd wedding anniversary. My mom never got to see me get married, and will never get to spoil the crap out of her grandchildren. I’m not mad at her, I’m just sad knowing that there will be one less person here on Earth watching me accomplish (hopefully) great things.

4) I’m scheduled to serve at church this weekend as a musician. I can see no better tribute to a great woman who dedicated her life to teaching music, both to me and to many others who came through her studio. Maybe I’m nuts, but it’s a foothold on normalcy that I know would help me cope.

Got a great text as I was writing this: “Feel better when you can, and not a minute sooner.” So many people feel like they have to put a timetable on their mourning. Realistically, this will hurt for years to come.

Of Mice & Men’s “Second & Sebring” has been the ringtone for my mom for a while now. As of tonight, the lyrics have a much greater meaning to me.

I believe it’s time for me to be famous and out of place.
I believe it’s time for me to move forward when I break through.

This time I’ll make you proud to see me over, come on daylight.
Proud of, who you raised.
Your shelter, your peacefulness.

So this time I’ll make you proud.

Proud of who you raised up.
You know that I will always be here til’ the end.

Come back so I can say thank you for this,
home cooked meals and a place to rest
my troubled head when you’re away,
I’ve passed the test, I’ve earned an A,
not just in school, but in life,
you’ll always be right by my side.
To help me show, hope to all,
that are lost and sick in this dying world.
I’ll use the love you left behind,
I’ll change their minds, I’ll change their minds.

I hope you smile when you look down on me.
I hope you smile.

This can’t, we won’t know.
I hope that I make you proud.

This is not what it is, only baby scars.
I need your love, like a boy needs his mother’s side.

Goodbye, Mom. You are gone, but never, ever forgotten. I love you.

My mother was given the opportunity to pursue her dreams shortly before I was born, and she made the most of it. For as long as I can remember, she has been a stay-at-home mom and a piano teacher. I recall one semester when she had as many as 44 students; I’ve known her to have as few as a dozen. She excelled and thrived teaching young and/or beginning students the basics, and building them up as far as they wanted to go.

When I was 4 1/2, I apparently made the comment that I wanted to learn piano, and my mom began teaching me. Whether it was because of my talent or just because we needed additional perspective, I started taking lessons from another local teacher. This was in addition to the countless hours I practiced every morning before school and on the weekends. I eventually “graduated” from my first teacher, and started taking lessons from a university professor at a school 30 minutes away. Mom would get up, supervise my practicing for an hour and a half to 2 hours every morning before school, and then once a week would stop teaching early in the afternoon so she could drive me to my lessons.

I resented it. Truth be told, there was nothing I disliked more when I was in junior high and high school than waking up early, practicing, and going to my lessons. I still remember how I was always crossing my fingers and hoping that my teacher would forget (he did once) or get busy and be unable to have my lesson. Mom and I played games with the clocks and timers in the house; I would try my hardest to cut time off of my practicing, and she would diligently make sure that I was in front of the piano for the entire time. We argued and squabbled, and our relationship was strained because of it. I was restricted in athletics, because she wanted to protect my hands from damage. When my arm started to give out my junior year of high school and I had to quit playing piano, I was unbelievably happy.

But damnit, I was one of the best young piano players in the state of Iowa. I won our regional auditions nearly every year I completed, and won the state level competitions twice. I won money performing at our Bill Riley talent contest, and I was the anchor to my school’s annual variety shows from kindergarten through 9th grade. The talents she helped me develop led to me picking up percussion, bass, and guitar. I majored in music education my first year in college before the arm damage caught up to me. Music and playing the guitar are my greatest passions in life. I’m actually in the process of recording a solo EP at the time of this writing. If I’d stuck with piano, I probably could’ve gotten a full ride to a university somewhere.

None of this would’ve been possible without the sacrifices that my mother made throughout my lifetime. I wish more than anything that I could go back and be more receptive to her instruction. My arm may have still given out, and I may have still quit, but I never showed my appreciation for the talent she helped me hone and develop into what it is today. That ability means the world to me, and I would be lost without it.

My mother also instilled a whole bunch of other things in me. She was the one that cultivated my interest in reading. She may have forced me to read some books that I didn’t enjoy, but she also let me read anything else as well. She hounded me about finances, making sure I set up a budget. She was home every single day when I was home from school, keeping a watchful eye on me and making sure I didn’t get myself into too much trouble. She drug me to church as a child, and supported my decisions to become involved on my own as I grew up. She indirectly showed me the value of dedication and hard work, and how they can lead to doing great deeds in life.

My mother has the ultimate servant’s heart. She gives and teaches and molds, and only asks for enough in return so that she can start over again the next day. She’s done so with me for almost 26 years, and I’ve witnessed countless students come through her studio to get educated on the arts, and come out of it learning about what it means to have a work ethic. It’s inspiring and humbling to reflect on.

This is not an obituary. This is not a “poor me” post or anything like that. My mother is not dead, and her presence is certainly not gone from my life.

Instead, this is a reminder to everyone that life is precious, and so are friends and family. Call that person you haven’t talked to in a while. Tell people how you feel. Tell people you love them. Life is far too short for “well, I’ll do that tomorrow”. You never know when the won’t be a tomorrow for you or them. Be receptive to life lessons, as much as they might sting. Seek knowledge and truth, as opposed to filling your brains with muck. Build up others instead of seeking self-gratification. Go through life with a purpose; make it a better place than it was when you came into it.

Oh… and fuck cancer.

But what we have to remember is that not everyone is as technologically savvy as you or I might be. If you’ve got family in the area, make sure you’ve checked on them and that they’re out of harm’s way.

That being said… sometimes us tech-savvy folk can get a kick out of people who just aren’t “in the know” like we are. Back in 2008, I worked for my local utility provider, doing support for cable TV and internet. You may remember 2008 as the summer that Iowa (and other Mississippi River states) got drilled with a nasty flood. Said utility provider was flooded out, so we had to move to our portable site on higher ground, while still providing support. I was manning the phones one afternoon shortly after this move, and this was the conversation I had with a gentleman…

Me: Local Utility Provider, this is Nic. How can I help you?

Guy: My webnet don’t work!

Me: … your internet doesn’t work?

Guy: Yeah!

Me: Alright, well we can definitely take a look at that for you. May I have your last name and address please?

– guy provides information –

A brief segway… If you look at this video, the bridge right behind the circular building heads to the northern section of town, where everything was under water. It’s a smaller community, warranting its own grade school, and was mostly populated by lower-income families and the elderly.

Me: Sir… are you at your house right now?

Guy: Well, yeah! I came back and my webnets don’t work!

Me: … sir, you’re in the middle of a flood zone. The entire North Cedar district is closed off.

Guy: I know! I had to use my boat to get out here, and climbed in the upstairs window! My daughter said she sent me a webmail with pictures of her new baby!

Me: Well, sir, since your entire neighborhood is under water, we had to shut power off. Without power, your modem isn’t going to function, and you’re not going to be able to get internet. Perhaps you should try going to the library and logging into your email there. They’ve set up extra computers for all the displaced people to use to contact family and check their email and the like.

Guy: Oh. I didn’t even think about that. Ha ha. Probably good thing there ain’t no power, huh? GZZZZZZZZZ I’d be roast! Could you imagine that? Ha ha!

Me: Yes sir, it’s a very good thing they did that.

Anyway. The project is called “The Music Plays You” (which, if you’ve stuck with me for a few years, you’ll recognize as the name of my old WordPress blog). I’ve got 1 track up, which I’ve linked below for you to listen to. You can also just go straight to my SoundCloud page. I’ve also got a Twitter account and a Facebook page established for it, in case you want to keep closer tabs on what I’m doing.

Everything at this point is just demos, things that I’m doing for fun. I’d love to get your feedback on it (be critical… I want to get better), so feel free to drop me a line at any of the places.

The first place I looked was IFTTT, but unfortunately they only work with the Public folder on Dropbox at this time. I also looked at using a combination of Wappwolf and IFTTT, but by the time I was at that stage, I felt it would be a cop out.

I settled on using AppleScript and OS X’s built-in Folder Actions. Here’s what I did:

1. Created the script below (thanks to @applescriptguru for the error checking!)
2. Saved the script to ~/Library/Scripts/Folder Action Scripts/
3. Right-clicked on the folder I wanted to monitor, choose “Folder Action Setup…”
4. Clicked “Enable Folder Actions” (if it’s not already), added the folder to the left-hand column, and then chose the new script on the right.

Just like that, I and my friends now get notifications any time anyone (not just me) shows up in that folder. Plenty of other real world applications for this handy hack.

It’s amazing how much of a stir this relatively minuscule amount of money (technically $19.99, but you get it) caused yesterday. I understand that to some people, $20 purchases are things that need to be considered. But for many in our culture and society, it’s absolutely nothing.

Let me back up and explain real quick…

For those that don’t know, Twitter is turning their back on the 3rd party apps that made their service great to begin with. Instead of embracing the developer community, they’re looking to monetize their service by forcing as many people as possible to view content on their site. Money conquers all, I guess. Anyway, each application developer is given a certain number of “tokens” to give out to their users. When X number of accounts have been linked to that particular app, no additional new users will be allowed to use it.

There are many people in the world making a living by developing applications and selling them through (for example) the Apple App Store, including Twitter apps. Developing apps takes time and effort; developing great applications takes a greater amount of said time and effort. Like musicians, a lot of what they do is thankless (“Man, this band changed their sound up from their last album… they suck!” “This developer didn’t put in every single feature I personally demanded… they suck!”).

Enter Tweetbot. Developed by the gentlemen over at Tapbots, Tweetbot started as an application for iPhones and iPads and, due to popular demand, has finally been released on OS X. I, along with many others, have been alpha and beta testing it for a few weeks now, and absolutely love it. It is, hands down, the best Twitter experience I’ve ever had. Are there a few things I don’t like? Sure, you’ll have that anywhere. But by and large, I love it. Other users love it.

Because of the aforementioned Twitter shenanigans¹, the Tapbots team knows they have a finite window in order to make money off of selling their application. They don’t get paid up front; every cent they earn is through sales. So they had to set a price; one that accurately reflected value and earned them money, while still making people interested in purchasing it.

They chose $20.

The outrage, sense of entitlement, and indignation from nerds worldwide was comical, saddening, and very telling about how we as a society view value. There were plenty of “I can’t afford that” or “I don’t use Twitter enough to justify that” comments thrown around, and I more than understand that. But the comment I heard/read by and large went something like… “Tweetbot is the best Twitter app out there, but I think it’s stupid that they charge so much. I’ll go use a shittier app that costs less/is free instead.”

Again, I understand people placing perceived value on goods and services. For some, $20 for a social media application is perfectly reasonable.² Others may only think it’s worth $10, or $5, or $0. Fine, whatever. But all those posts I read just really made me scratch my head.³

Here’s what I got for $20:

• A well designed application for a service I use to communicate, collaborate, find jobs, get help, waste time, sharing photos, etc. I use this service every single day (for better or worse) on multiple computers.

Here are just a smattering of examples of things I could give up in order to pay for said application:

• 1 trip to Subway for a $5 footlong every 3 months for a year.
• 4 venti double shot non-fat no-whip pumpkin lattes from Starbucks.
• 2 orders of Chinese delivery.
• 2 tickets to a night time movie.⁴
• 2 albums off of iTunes. Or 1 vinyl record, for you hipsters.
• 1 dinner out at a decently-prices restaurant.

Every single one of those, to me, is worth it. I value great design. I value functionality. I’d rather have something that lasts instead of something that will just be forgotten about within minutes.

Here’s another argument… I own a $2,000 desktop and a $1,300 laptop, purchased because again, I value design and functionality. All of these people that are complaining own similar machines, as this is an Apple-only product. Yet they balk at a $20 purchase? Insane.

This entirely-too-long blog post is my way of stating that I feel we as a society have lost our grasp on value. We have become so entitled to just getting what we want, from our first car from Mommy & Daddy, to that promotion, to good grades, to free applications on our phones and computers. Sometimes we have to pay for what we get, be it through hard work or monetary means. Find what you value, what means a lot to you, and support it however you can.

Me? I’ll be making mac and cheese from a box a couple more times than I might truly desire. But hey… it’s still mac and cheese, right?

1. That’s 2 large words that I love and rarely get to use. Slapped in once sentence? Fantabulous!
2. I fall into this group.
3. One potentially unintended (though I highly doubt that) side effect of setting the price point so high is that it will keep the casual users away, leaving those limited tokens available for those that truly want to use the app.
4. Hell, in some places, matinees are now almost $8-9.