Devvyn.com » site update

Music update: Ocarina of Time

devvyn — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:19:08 +0000

This one isn’t new, but it’s still fun. Remember the music that plays in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of time when you ride into the Gerudo Valley, where the bandit village lies? Ever wanted to hear it pumped up with a bit more energy?

Gerudo Wall Thumper (Ocarina of Time)

Made in Reason. I found a MIDI file online and used it to get the raw notes and timing. I re-arranged the instrument sections, completely replaced the percussion, and changed the rhythm of the bass line in some portions. And of course the finishing touches in the engineering/mixing end of things.

(Again, this is podcast safe, and re-distribution is fine by me.)

Gerudo Wall Thumper by Devvyn Murphy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

Music available for download under CC license

devvyn — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:26:17 +0000

I’ve submitted a track to a music podcast, Solipsistic Nation, to hopefully be included in an upcoming show. (It’s a great podcast, by the way, if you like electronic music of any kind.) I figured I might as well quit putting off distribution so I made a temporary page at devvyn.com/music where visitors can download tracks. I’ve offered them on a Creative Commons license so more people can enjoy them (assuming you find the music enjoyable).

Snowflakes on Birches

First post in music is a song I made a few years ago in Reason. It’s a nice blend of orchestral arrangement and a bit of electronic synth. I hope someone out there enjoys it. If you have a moment, just drop me a comment or an email so I know if it reached anyone. :-)

First web client & “alternative” health pseudosciences

devvyn — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 21:48:12 +0000

Well, I have my first client in my new casual web development business. A friend of mine referred one of his previous clients to me and so now I’ve taken over. He’s an alternative health practitioner in Saskatoon. I have a pretty skeptical attitude about things like homeopathy, iridology, Ayurveda, acupuncture, magnet therapy, astrology, herbalism and naturopathy. That’s not to say I outright deny all benefits of following these treatment modalities, it’s just that I’m way more convinced by the scientific method when it comes down to demonstrating efficacy. Homeopathy and astrology in particular are so far fetched I doubt there will ever be empirical evidence to support them. (Note: in true pretentious asshole fashion I’ve linked each pseudoscience to statements criticizing them.)

I don’t want to start an emotional debate about alternative health philosophies. I’m also not claiming to be a fountain of unquestionable knowledge. I think you should look at some (preferably objective) viewpoints and seriously criticize them, and look for holes that can’t be filled. Start by digging around in the skeptical community, who pride themselves in critical thinking. Skeptics can be persuaded to change their minds, it’s just that they can actually decide what it would take to convince them, whereas “true believers” are pathologically averted to losing their grip on their own pre-established beliefs.

Recommended critical thinking podcasts: Skeptic’s Guide 5×5, The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe, and Skeptoid.

Nonetheless, getting my hands on HTML again is kind of fun, and this is a paid job. Considering I’m not employed full time, this is nice for me. I’ll just have to be professional and non-judgemental if I want to take this seriously. I can separate my feelings from my work, so this should be fine.

New site, X-post testing

devvyn — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 01:05:58 +0000

I’ve got a completely new setup on my dusty old vanity site, www.devvyn.com. I used to hate the tedious process of uploading a song or image, then editing the HTML code in the relevant file on the server to include the appropriate link (which meant careful checking of the page in the browser). That’s my excuse for neglecting what could be a central resource for collaborations with other artists. So, the new system has a gallery and a blog I (and others) can sign in to. No more hand coding!

If I’ve done this right so far, this post should be showing up in LiveJournal in some fashion. If this works, the next step is to start uploading juicy content and see who wants to work with me on image and audio collaborations.

Site Revamp!

devvyn — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:46:49 +0000

I just did a site overhaul. All the old directories full of junk are gone, aside from a few images that are linked to from posts on other sites.

Very soon there will be a constantly growing gallery of music and images related to my own creative doings. It will be largely automated so I won’t procrastinate due to the amount of work involved in posting each new upload to an index page (which I hated having to do.)

Comment if you’ve read this! Let me know who you are and how you got here.