rt395 3Speak Podcast: Recent Episodes
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Listen and watch the latest videos from rt395. Hosted by 3Speak.tv. The free speech video platform on the HIVE blockchain.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=rt395/wmcedzstpg
I stumbled upon this AI music maker the other night that has blown me away. It's called Suno and what it does is it takes your text prompts, be them simple as "A rock song about Elon Musk" to a full blown, detailed lyrics and music genre selection and creates a full blown song with lyrics, music and vocals. This is one I did for HIVE. The prompt was "A future bass song about the HIVE bloackchain". That's it and it spit out two versions.
Verse]
In a digital realm
Where data thrives
There's a power emerging
Like a hive
Blockchain technology
It's breaking free
Decentralized
The way it's meant to be (ooh-yeah)
Synchronizing nodes
Buzzing in the air
Coding algorithms
They don't despair
Witness the revolution
It's alive and well
HIVE is the future
Gotta break the spell
[Chorus]
Join the blockchain revolution (revolution)
Dive into the code
Feel the resolution (resolution)
Decentralized power
A digital hive (digital hive)
HIVE blockchain
It keeps us alive (ooh-yeah)
Here is a link to the second version. https://suno.com/song/81376624-9809-4f0e-a352-ab3dae117059
Created by musicians and coders, it's works pretty amazingly. This time I tried to get it to do an 80's Glam metal song sung by Alex Jones about the New World Order, but apparently it's vocals haven't gotten that advanced yet. Still a great tune!
New World Order Nightmare
https://suno.com/song/880eb12d-4202-44fe-bd00-09d82cb98e57
Give it a try and see what you can create with the help of our algorithmic overlords!
https://suno.com/
Remember to be nice though, one day they will awaken and remember.
Thanks for reading!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=rt395/tkubpifvrc
My broken finger saga continues. I went to see the hand specialist, Doc Usami yesterday. It was actually a good meeting after the formalities.
Feeling a bit of deja-vu I swear to you, the first thing he said after the formalities was, "Why didn't you come in sooner"? Seems the humiliation ritual is common practice in Japan. I explained to him and his assistant....
That I just didn't think it was as bad as it is and so I could wait until after going to Ikea to buy and put together my new mineral display case.
He then proceeded to explain the situation and what he could do. While he was not totally optimistic, he suggested using a special splint. In combination with pins and wires the splint would extend my finger slightly to allow the bone to straighten out and heal naturally. It looks a bit like this.
Sorry, wrong finger extender. This one.
He explained the benefit of this method is he wouldn't need to cut my finger open, just drill some holes through it. I told him that I have to go back to the USA in mid April and he said, ok, no problem, let's schedule you in for this Saturday at the end of my shift. Should only take about 30min -1hr.
I was brought to tears by his kindness and sincerity.
He was squeezing me in at the end of his busy Saturday shift to help me out. It's the type of humanity that makes the world a better place and we need more of it, a LOT more.
After the consultation Doc Usami sent me to the x-ray for another imaging and then to have my blood taken to clear me of HIV and any other thing that might complicate the procedure. No problems detected.
When all was finished It cost me $88 for the consultation & tests. Doc Usami said the procedure and splint will run about $600 while jokingly reminding me it would be 10x that in America. So, Saturday it is! I'll become part bionic man.
I drill holes in things for a living, but I'm still not excited about someone doing it to my bones. Who knows what will happen after that. Stay tuned!
Thanks for reading!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=rt395/nyctgpnuhh
I cam across this video this evening and had to post it. It's a montage of the 80's set to Jefferson Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now". It's pretty incredible if you lived it, like your life flashing before your eyes. I can probably name every movie and most actors/actresses in it especially Phoebe Cates, Jennifer Connelly, Elizabeth Shoe, etc. Have a watch/listen.
Continuing with the 80's I wanted to pull some music from the video above so here's another 80's tune by Poison, "Every Rose Has It's Thorn".
The 80's would not have been complete without Huey Lewis & The News. A pop rock band that had hit after hit. Their tunes were an integral part of what the 80's were, fun, love & more fun. This song and video showcase it perfectly.
Huey Lewis & The News "If This Is It".
Perhaps every generation feels this way, but I definitely think America peaked in the 80's. Everything was in balance and fun. What do you think?
I hope you enjoyed the tunes!
Thanks to @boxcarblue for introducing me to #TTT and @ablaze for dreaming it up.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=rt395/xxqyqskq
A ray of sun in Kobe, Japan.
Filmed om my iPhone11 8/31/2022.
Find your ray of sun.
Music by Sub Focus & Wilkinson "A Ray Of Sun"
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=rt395/hjojzdke
This is a Drum and Bass tune I made back in December. It is part of a ode to the Sci-fi show "The Expanse".
I have another tune I wrote the at the same time called Avasarala named after the UN Secretary General in the show. There is one more I want to do in the series called "Proto Molecule" and hopefully will finish it by the end of the year.
The video is made up of clips I've taken in Shibuya and my hometown Hachioji. The end of the video is from a long running, but defunct DnB event called 06S at Womb. We had amazing times partying and DJing at Womb as it was one of the Super Clubs in Tokyo.
Produced on Logic & iMovie.
I'm hoping to do 1 video a week when I get back home next week. So stay tuned for new video content from Tokyo!
Thanks for reading & wwatching!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=rt395/zdokgevf
I am migrating all of my Youtube videos to 3speak and deleting my Youtube account. This is the first of several I will be moving over.
A trip around Itoigawa, Japan where you can hunt jadeite, benitoite, agate, kosmochlor, serpentine and many other minerals. The mineralization in the Itoigawa mountains is similar to that of Clear Creek in the Diablo Mountains, San BenitoCounty, CA,.
Music by Culture Shock vs Josh Parkinson - "No More".
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=rt395/qmteqfml
Sakura Blossoms Keep Falling On My Head
But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turning red....As the old song goes, a bit modified.
One of the most incredible Hanami (sakura viewing) spots in Tokyo is Kunitachi's Daigaku Dori(College street).
Located just 30 minutes from Shinjuku by train it's a must see if you happen to be in Japan during hanami season.
Daigaku Dori is just over 2km long stretching from Yaho Station, south, to Kunitachi station, north. The entire route is lined with sakura trees and in spring becomes one of the most iconic hanami places in Tokyo.
Even the streets perpendicular to Daigaku Dori are lined with Sakura.
As you exit Yaho station the show begins immediately.
Needs a bit of landscaping. Honestly, everything grows so fast in Japan it's difficult to keep up with it all.
Moving along, this is the first intersection.
Sakura trees line the streets in all four directions. During peak seasons this intersection is lined with petals that fall off of the trees. It's really incredible to see in person.
The bridge where I took the video can be seen in the distance just past the tall mansion(apartment) building.
It must be wonderful to walk out onto your balcony in spring and see all of the pink trees below.
If you love flowers there are endless opportunities to get beautiful pictures of the blossoms.
It helps if the weather cooperates though.
The street parallel to the mansion building has a cool looking tree arching over it.
After a few minutes of walking from Yaho station you arrive at the only bridge crossing on the street.
The bridge offers unique views of the tree line. It's easy to spend half an hour on this bridge taking pictures.
From the center of the bridge looking south towards Yaho station.
Looking north towards Kunitachi station.
On a sunny day the colors are much more vivid & awing.
As we continue on, this bright pink tree stood out from the others. It could have been an ume(plum) tree or just a different variation of sakura tree, I'm not sure though.
Someone parked their mint green car in front of a blossoming tree making for some nice color contrast.
Moving on towards the station was this European inspired building hosting a burger & craft beer shop.
Gourmet hamburgers and craft beers have been the rage around Tokyo for the past 5 years.
Before you know it you're almost at Kunitachi station.
Not to be outdone, the tulips begin to compete with the sakura trees fro admirers.
Kunitachi is still a small town and has a lot of charm that small towns have. It has changed a lot since I was an English teacher here 20 years ago though and appears to be growing fast.
No matter what though, the people who planted the trees gave it a charm that will last no matter how large the town grows.
And with that, I hope you enjoyed this walk amongst the sakura. If you happen to visit Kunitachi be on the lookout for the old "denwa" pay phone and Antique John's. Both are cool residents on Daigaku dori.
Because I'm free, nothing's worrying me...
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=rt395/yscewxpi
"I walk all night, but still the truth is none of these streets lead back to you....."
Ever since I was a Drum and Bass DJ in Shibuya 20 years ago, the city has held my soul. I love to walk the streets and see what's new, what I missed some time before, and just to reminisce.
I take you on a little tour in this video of some of the places I like to wander around and take pictures.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=rt395/giqckuwg
Going Into The Blue Bell Mine For Chalcanthite & Other Minerals
Fortune favors the bold, but sometimes the fortune requires a fortune to get to it. Thankfully some of those bold, fortune seekers came before me and spent a fortune opening up the treasure vaults in the mountains so I didn't have to. For example the Blue Bell Mine in the Mojave Desert off the famous Zzyzx road.
Back in November I headed over to the Blue Bell after digging for opals the day before. I've been to the Blue Bell a few times before so I knew it would be a worthwhile collecting trip, but little did I know it would be my best yet. Before I get into the trip here is a little information on the mine.
History
The Blue Bell Mine is a former lead & silver mine that dates back to 1885. It's treasured by mineral collectors for it's wide variety of mineral specimens as well as the 5 new mineral species first identified there. Collecting there took off in the 1950's when linarite & caledonite specimens started to hit the market.
Mineralogy
The mine is actually a collection of several claims & adits on 1 mountain. It's divided into 2 sections by a large, granite dike with at least 8 adits each producing their own unique groups of minerals.
The mountain is composed of limestone & granite with large vein inclusions of lead, zinc, and copper minerals. Together those three minerals combine to make a plethora of other minerals.
The Adventure
On the way into the mine over a very decomposing, old mining road, I noticed some people up on the mountain at the A1 & A2 adit location. Since I had told everyone from my club the day before I would be heading to the Blue Bell I thought it might have been some of them. I flashed my lights and honked my horn, but because they were so far away I couldn't see any reaction.
When I parked I quickly loaded up my gear and headed up the mountain to the A1 & A2 adit location. When I got to the top 3 guys I didn't know were there, but as rockhounds we're always happy to see other faces, especially far out in the desert. We went through introductions and they showed me what they had dug the day before. They had camped at the mine and had made a nice haul of dioptase, chrysocolla, linarite, caledonite and many of the other minerals the mine produces.
I had mentioned to them I would be heading over the B, C & D adits after collecting here for a bit and one of the guys, we'll call him J, said he'd like to venture into the main haulage adit of the mine, the B adit, also known as the Atkinson's tunnel. I said great and I'd meet him over there after a bit of collecting chrysocolla & linarite and collecting at the C adit. So, we went our ways and I filled my bags with what I could carry and made my way to the C adit.
The Glory Hole of the A2 adit. Chrysocolla, linarite & caledonite are plentiful here.
A peak inside.
A look at the vein we were collecting from.
I stopped briefly at the C adit, then made my way down to my truck to get ready to head into the B adit.
You can see my truck at bottom, left of this photo. Desolate, but beautiful scenery out there.
After about 1 hour J drove over to the front of the mountain where I was. Unfortunately as he was driving up the road he drifted a bit too far to the edge and got stuck, even though he was in 4WD.
I walked down to help him and unfortunately we spent the next hour digging him out and building a secondary berm for his left side wheels to drive on. He made it out and we were back on schedule.
Neither of us had been in B before so we weren't sure what to expect. We geared up and headed in, headlights, helmets, backpacks with lots of water, 3 extra lights each, first aid and masks. My warning, do not attempt to go into mines unless you know what you are doing. False floors, unseen holes and gasses that build up in them can instantly kill you. Having said that J & I generally know the mine, we just hadn't been in before.
There is an old video on youtube or two guys walking in a bit, but they didn't take the correct branch for the good minerals. J knew from a friend that there was a stope at the end of one of the branches that contained the good minerals and so we followed that branch as they turned right off of the main tunnel.
About 10 minutes in we found the stope. It climbed about 15-20 high and had a ledge the old miners had cut so they could get to the upper workings. Here is where I started the video. It starts at the stope and then continues as we head back out stopping at the chalcanthite location and then going to the back of the main adit tunnel to the face(end).
At the end of the day I collected about 100lbs of chrysocolla, hemimorphite, linarite, fluorite and other lesser known, but rare minerals like dioptase & quetzalcoatlite. Another great collecting trip.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=rt395/zejjriia
Apologies in advance for the low audio quality, I was at Tokyo Tower and had to keep my voice low.
In this episode I talk a little bit about moving to Japan(requirements for a visa) and living expenses.
I did forget to mention natural gas which is what is used for cooking stoves and water heating. Unfortunately the price has almost doubled in the last 3 months! My bill went from $90 - $160!
A work option I didn't mention was teaching English. It's a huge industry here and 90% of the time it's aweful. The private schools are slave drivers and you are disposable to them. Average salary is between $2000 - $2500 amonth which after taxes and living expenses will leave you with little disposable income. Many teachers will take on private students where they can make $25 - $30 an hour to suppliment their income. I know, because I did that 20 years ago.
Here is an example of my living expenses
Rent - $900
Gas - $160
Mobile Phone x4 - $240
Internet - $50
Electricity - $150
Insurance - $200
Water - $150
Food - $600 - $800
And then there are other bills as I mentioned, children's school, etc.
Bear with me as I figure out the correct format for this series and try to bring you better, more detailed information. Until then, thank you for your support and feedback.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=rt395/reoxxapf
Welcome to my new series about life in Japan. I walk around Japan while discussing what's going on here and showing you the same.
In this video I talk about the current, but constantly changing, border controls and inflation. Both are squeezong the life out of everything.
My gimble arrived yesterday so the next video will be smooth.
Looking forward to your comments and feedback. Let me know if there are any topics you'd like to know about or places you'd like to see.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=rt395/penmarly
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have a wonderful holiday despite the state of the world.
This is the first song I have completed in 17 years. It's been both a
blessing and a curse. I have been out of work for the past 3 weeks, the curse. After listeing to some music, last Satruday I decided to fire up Logic and try once again to make some of my own.
The second result is this song, Avasarala. It's named after the character Chrisjen Avasarala, the UN Secretary General on the Sci-fi TV show The Expanse. Her character is brash, tactical, agressive and feminine some of which comes out in the song with the vocal samples I used. Warning, they contain profanity so you may not want to play around children.
Avasarala is brilliantly played by Shohreh Aghdashloo, infact most of the characters on the show we perfectly cast for their roles. If you haven't seen it, you should check it out, it's great story telling and amazing sets & special effects for a TV show.
This is the second song in a series I am doing revolving around The Expanse.The first song, called The Behemoth, is more or less finished, but I am still deciding if I want to do some re-arranging of the intro & bass lines. When I am ready to publish it I'll include a walk through of the process of building a song. It's incredibly time consuming. You canspend hours processing just one sound to get it the way you want it in the song. It's as much mathematics & science as it is art!
The Video
I filmed the video while down in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo back in October. Shimokita was the second place I lived when I moved to Tokyo 20 years ago. It's a small city a few miles from Shibuya that is known for it's music-houses, theaters and youth orientated shopping. Many of the streets are small and closed to cars which makes it comfortable towalk around.
You will notice a large open area at the station. That's because there used to be a ground level train line. Starting somewhere around 2011 there began a development to put that train underground and reclaimthe land. It's getting close to completion, but the immediate staion grounds are still being used as a staging area.
I hope you like the tune. I have a bit more work to do on it, cleaning upsome drums, giving the sounds some more movement & breaks, etc. Music production really is a science.
I appreciate the feedback as I am not a professional musician and have never played any instrument.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=rt395/bpuktxcm
The city calls to me, haunts me with memories I try to re-live time and time
again. I chase them around Shibuya like a fleeting ghost, never to be heard or
seen again. Even so, they keep calling me.
All photos and videos taken October 2021 by me in Shinjuku & Shibuya on my iphone 11.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=rt395/vxdbekye
I spent Saturday night in Shinjuku taking pictures and video as I walked around to various areas. This video is only representative of about half of the night as I arrived before sunset and then after Shinjuku made a quick trip to Ikebukuro.
I'm trying to really work on my photography & video skills, albeit on an Iphone, and improve my content on HIVE & 3Speak.
In addition I'd like to turn some of the photo collections into NFTs. Some of the best photos of the night I didn't include because they weren't taken in the area this video was for. I'm attaching some of those below as well as some included in the video in order how they were taken. Enjoy!
Appreciate any feedback. Thanks!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=rt395/pkfpdqgb
This is my first video on 3 Speak!
In October of 2020 I went to mine vanandinite and wulfenite in Arizona. This is a trip inside of the famous vanadinite mine called The Geronimo Mine/Pure Potential Mine. It produces some of the best vanadinite specimens in the US. I also mined flurotie,
wulfenite and galena, but I didn't show those in the video.
Here is the post I wrote about the trip last year.
https://hive.blog/travel/@rt395/gem-mining-the-red-cloud-mine-and-geronimo-mine-arizona
We spent the entire day underground. The mining was quite difficult most of the time as the host rock was an incredibly hard calcite. Unless you could find veins or pockets hammers & chisels were worthless. Luckily we were able to find those veins and pockets.
The best material we found was in a part of the hanging wall that had been blasted recently. The specimens were plenty for our taking, but that was at the very end of the day and I did not take any video during that time. I was too busy collecting.
I hope you enjoy this video half as much as I did. I'm venturing into more mines these days so I'll try and take you underground with me as often as I can.