J.D. Moyer

sci-fi author, beatmaker

A Personal Request

By

On April 11

In Electronic Music

I’d like to briefly interrupt the “systems for living well” theme of this blog with a personal request.

Today Loöq Records (the music label I run with DJ Spesh) has released an ambient/downtempo compilation entitled “From There To Here.”

I think it’s one of the strongest collections of music we’ve ever assembled. It also includes a few compositions I helped write — it’s work I’m proud of.

Not everyone loves electronic music, but this release is deep, beautiful, ethereal, emotional stuff. I’m hoping it will appeal to many of you.

Here’s my request — can you please click on the image above and give some of the tracks a listen on iTunes? If you like the release, buy it.

Just as helpful would be letting some friends know, clicking the “Like” button, clicking on the stars to rate the release, or giving the release a quick review.

Thank you! I hope you enjoy “From There To Here.”

Sci-Fi Level Medical Advances, Part I

By

On April 6

In Evolution/Biology, Health/Body-hacking

Thin, tan, and horny.

Ten years ago, in 2002, I read an article in WIRED magazine about an experimental drug called Melanotan. Early test results indicated that the drug could make a pale person tan, without sun exposure. Side effects included reduce appetite and weight loss, and a high frequency of spontaneous erections.

Thin, tan, and horny … WIRED dubbed Melanotan “the Barbie drug.”

Read More

Results and Impressions of 3-Year "Life Vision" Planning Experiment

By

On March 20

In Creative Work/Career, Getting Organized, Life Purpose & Goals, Lifestyle Experiments, Metaprogramming, Writing

Forest path (photo by Stuck in Customs).

About three years ago I wrote a detailed essay envisioning what I would like my life to look like in three years. I included details about where I would be living, what my house and working spaces would look like, what I would be doing during the day, who I would be spending time with, and so on. I included details about career, health, relationships, home improvement, spirituality, finances, my various businesses, and what I wanted to be doing for fun/entertainment. It came out to about 2500 words.

For the next few months, I allowed myself to make minor edits. Sometimes I would add a short section about a part of my life I had yet to consider in detail. Sometimes I would change something that just didn’t feel right. Some of the hopes and dreams I thought I had for my own life turned out to just be baggage from an earlier me. I no longer wanted those things, but it took writing them down to realize that. So I deleted those sections.

Then I saved the essay to a folder on my hard drive and went on living my life.

Read More

Working From Home – Six Ways To Bring Up Your Game

By

On March 9

In Creative Work/Career, Getting Organized, Metaprogramming

One of the many break-time activities available to people who work from home.

As a music producer/freelance database developer/blogger, most of my days are spent in my home office. I love working from home, and I hope I never have to “go in” on a regular basis again, but I remember I had a rough transition year or two (in terms of working-from-home flow and productivity).

I went completely freelance (no employer) around 2001, at the age of 32. I left a good job as the database administrator for the San Francisco Symphony (though I continued to do contract work for them for a number of years). I liked my boss, my co-workers, and the organization, but at the time I was tired of reporting to a small windowless room, tired of commuting from the East Bay to San Francisco, and bored with the actual work. I wanted to spend more time writing music and working on Loöq Records. In addition, I wanted to take a shot a writing screenplays.

The Lost Years

Over the new few years I went through some working-from-home growing pains.

Read More

Tap Your Potential by Going Deeper Into Your Comfort Zone

By

On March 1

In Creative Work/Career, Culture Rants/Shares, Writing

The annoying comfort zone graphic.

The annoying graphic above has been showing up in my social feeds a lot lately. Why is it annoying? For one, it makes no sense. Why is being tired, depressed, and fearful in the comfort zone? Why can’t I be comfortable, and also wealthy, confident, and passionate?

I understand the idea that the graphic is (unsuccessfully) trying to communicate, which is that if we are never willing to leave our comfort zone, we will miss out on opportunities that require a certain amount of social or emotional risk-taking. But there is bizarre anti-logic inherent in the idea that we should always strive to push outside of our comfort zone.

For example, the other day I was standing in line with my wife and daughter at Cactus Taqueria on College Avenue. Between the front of the line and the counter there’s a space of about five feet that people usually keep clear. My wife, who was really hungry and in a hurry to order, stepped into the “in-between space” when we reached the front of the line. My inclination, on the other hand, is to wait until a cashier is actually available before stepping forward. As a mental experiment in “moving outside of my comfort zone,” I stepped into the space as well, and felt awkward until it was actually our turn to order.

Read More

Page 76 of 101

Previous

Next

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén