Two Years With the Chevy Bolt: The Best Car I’ve Ever Owned I’ll say it upfront: the Chevy Bolt is the best car I’ve ever owned. When I decided to go electric, I already knew the Bolt was nearing the end of its run. The 2023 model would be the last—and finding one wasn’t easy. Most dealers were out of stock, and the few that did get them sold them almost immediately. ...
🕹️ 40 Years With the Atari ST: From Zapenu to GitHub Image by Bilby, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. I recently read that the Atari ST turned 40 this year. I remember buying mine at Rosewood Music in Findlay, Ohio, in 1989, using my high school graduation money. I had wanted one ever since 1985, when I first saw it on display at Maumee Valley Computer Center in Defiance, Ohio. That was the year it came out, and it felt like the future. So when I finally got my hands on it — a 16-bit computer with a mouse, a GUI, and built-in MIDI ports — I knew exactly where I was headed. For me, the future was the Atari ST. ...
🎸 What I Learned (and Didn’t) from the “Founding Father Method™” A personal reflection on pedal steel’s most revered (and carefully protected) learning program Disclaimer: This post reflects my personal, good-faith experience as a paying customer of a widely known steel guitar course. It is not intended as defamation, harassment, or commercial harm—only an honest review of a product that didn’t work for me. If it worked for you, that’s great. This is simply my take. ...
What AI Is Doing to Software Development (and What It Can’t Do Yet) I started writing software just before the Internet changed everything. Back then, if you wanted to know how a Windows API worked, you didn’t Google it—you went to the bookshelf. Mine was packed with Microsoft documentation: thousands of pages in thick printed volumes. Win32 Programmer’s Reference, MFC Library, SDK Tools—it took up most of a shelf and all of your patience. ...
For the past few years, I’ve been balancing a range of creative and technical interests — pedal steel guitar, app development, retro computing, and more — all while working full-time at Sweetwater in Fort Wayne, IN. I’ve been part of both the mobile and desktop teams there for over five years, helping build the tools customers use every day. I’ve also moved the blog to a new domain: johnsmusicandtech.com. The name reflects what this space is really about — the intersection of sound and software, strings and code, music and machines. It’s still me writing, just under a name that better fits the shape of things going forward. ...
Two historic guitars are on display in the GFI room. This belonged to Ralph Mooney: This was a Gene Fields guitar: Gene was a great innovator. It was interesting to see his work in person.
I am in Dallas for my first Jamboree! I am halfway through Doug Jerningan’s seminar. There is a lot to take in, but it has been very informative. Doug is a great player and teacher. He has prepared an extensive course for today’s seminar.