Hi, I'm Rich.
I am an open source software and internet enthusiast. This website is a personal project
that I have programmed, written, and hosted myself. It is intended in part as a record of
the skills I've learnt in web development, programming and system administration. Another reason
for its existence is purely for freedom of expression in an uncensored, unfiltered environment
and to demonstrate and discuss the personal empowerment that comes from learning about
technology and distributing online content under your own terms.
About me:
Work:
At the time of writing, In my professional life I was earning money from many things relating to
the trumpet. I still play, teach, build and repair instruments. I have written books about trumpet
playing and I have a blog. Further information about all of that can be found on my other websites,
which are linked at the top of the page. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic I have since been required to
find other full-time employment, which I'm enjoying very much. It is a change of pace for me after
being self-employed for fifteen years but I like it and the regular income isn't bad either.
My current position is a trainee shift leader in the production department of Beyond The Bean. It is
a small Bristol-based company that provides products and services to the coffee and cocktail industries.
Interests: ICT
Other than music I have a life-long interest in technology. Growing up I had a BBC Mirco computer
and later on an Archimedes A3010. The knock-on effect of that is that I've always been thoroughly
unimpressed by anything with a Microsoft label on it. It's funny to me all these years later that
the ARM architecture that ran those old computers is being used in all smart phones and soon to be
Apple computers as well. In 2003 a friend of mine introduced me to Slackware Linux and I've never
been satisfied to use anything but Linux on my computer since (I have owned and used a MacBook for
work but that's mostly under duress!). Currently I use Arch Linux on my main computer and all of my
cloud servers are running Ubuntu or Debian. I think that soon I will write a page about my desktop
and workflow, which is based around suckless tools, so check back here if you're interested in that.
Interests: Doing things the hard way
Yeah... so that's hardly an interest, but
I do seem to have a predisposition for finding alternative ways to do almost everything that I take
an interest in. Obviously the one already mentioned is insisting on using free software, which at
times has made my workflow complicated. These days there is a wider variety of dependable open
source software available but when I was doing teacher training course in 2007 my insistance on
using Linux definitely didn't make the work any easier... As well as this I have adopted a system
of trumpet playing commonly known as the Tongue Controlled Embouchure. This is explained on the
TCE-UK website linked above. The result of that is that I'm currently Europe's leading proponent of
the system and I have taught trumpet players, both amateur and professional, in thirteen countries,
on five continents. That ain't bad, but it's not making me rich! Another example of this madness is
that for a few years I rode a fixed-gear bike. This is fun and I find the machine both elegant and
liberating in its simple form. Unfortunately last year I fell off this bike and broke my elbow so
I have not continued to use it as a fixie and instead I now ride single-speed with two brakes! I
think that maybe my city has a few too many hills.
What else?
At the moment the place to look for most updates would be the "Rants" page above, which may end up
being like a blog at some point. There is also a link to my github page for access to my builds of
dwm, dmenu and st, and also my dot files for a few things like sxhkd. More info on that when I've
written the page! Thanks for visiting.
