Semi-Professional
I Was Sort of Happy
Mark Rushton’s Abundant Spare Time is a weekly email on Substack where I talk about my ongoing work as a recording artist and visual artist.
This email is brought to you by the Mark Rushton Gallery, for printed and original artworks. License my music, sound fx, and illustrations at Pond 5 for your creative project. I’m on Bandcamp and all the usual streaming services.
This week’s topics:
Recent Work
Jon Harnish: Semi-Professional
Live Gig at xBk Annex on July 19th
The Fall - “What About Us?”
Recent Work:
I am finishing up the artwork and release details for an “ambient + piano” album I worked on with an artist/producer out of Florida. It should be released under my Calmer Feeling band name. Details to follow, but a snapshot of the artwork is above.
In addition to that, I’m doing lots of Omnichord experiments. Lots of long-form ambient.
All in my abundant spare time.
Jon Harnish: Semi-Professional
Had a nice two-hour phone call from Jon recently. He’s working on new “ambient bass” recordings and various projects, and maybe we’ll put something together again. Jon’s always got great ideas.
“The Water Tower” is the leadoff track on our 2009 album Ambient Matyk, recorded outdoors, behind the Matyk Building in Cedar Rapids after the devastating flood of 2008. I can’t take much credit for this beyond a little synth hum, showing up, pressing Record, and releasing it. I’d say 98% of this track is 100% Jon.
Live Gig at xBk Annex on July 19th
Just a reminder…
The Fall - “What About Us?”
A song about a serial killer doctor in England (Harold Shipman) told from the perspective of an East German rabbit.
Apparently, Shipman is the only doctor convicted of murder in England. Ever! Odd how no other doctor has done anything like that. That’s as rare as lawyers or judges getting in trouble.
I feel like the only way to stay healthy is to completely avoid drugs. Especially prescription drugs. All of them.
I lost weight and have kept it off by cutting out sugar, bread, high-glycemic food, processed food, fast food, anything cooked in seed oils, high fructose death syrup, enriched glysophate products, and the Donald Rumsfeld Chemicals. I lost interest in alcohol a while back, for the most part, so that was easy.
I also practice 18:6 or 20:4 “timed eating” or “intermittent fasting”. I suspect this works whether you’re carnivore, vegetarian, or vegan. Stop buying the packaged crap and cook your own while they still let you.
Exercise is really the worst way to lose weight. I don’t recommend it. The risk of injury it too high. Just cut out eating the crap, if you can.