Random summertime thoughts.

[owequitit]

Well, since work is slowing down for the summer, I have had little more time to pick up the guitar again. I haven't been playing much in, oh, the last two years because I just haven't had a lot of time. But, I have a buddy at work who is learning, so we get together and jam.

Been working on a couple of songs that are very simple, yet some of my favorites. Oddly, they use a lot of the same chords, but they sound good, and they are basic chords for the most part, so that is cool. I have actually been favoring the acoustic over the electrics, which is a new trend.

So anyway, here is some of the stuff I have been killing time with:

What's up? 4 Non-Blondes

Disarm - Smashing Pumpkins

Alabama - Cross Canadian Ragweed

Good Riddance - Green Day

What It's Like - Everlast

and my friend wants me to learn Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson since he is obsessed with that song. I am going to work on that. He is a bit above my talent level though, so that will push my limits some.

On my to do list while I practice the others are:

Landslide - Fleetwood Mac

Dust in the Wind - Kansas

You Were Meant for Me - Jewel (learned this some time ago, but have mostly forgotten it)

Run - Collective Soul

Some of those will allow me to work on my finger picking and rhythm.

On a side note, work has gotten so slow, I went to DES today to file for Unemployment/partial unemployment, and their software kept messing up. Since they don't save information for security purposes, I had to keep starting over, only to get to the end and get a software error message. I guess I will have to try again tomorrow. Makes me wonder how much we paid for that system. Most Government interfaces are a PITA like that because above all else, they have to protect the data. The FAA's stuff is the same way. Very cumbersome, but they said right out when they briefed us on it, their main concern was not ease of use, it was security of the airmen's information. So that I guess is good.

Also got to get a special TSA badge so that I can have access to my place of work. It is amazing how an 85 seat airplane can change everything security wise. Of course our airport seems to be complicating the process beyond the letter of the law. Oh well.

On another note, it looks like the monsoon may be developing ahead of schedule. We have seen some fairly developed southerly flow the last couple days (the definition of "monsoon") and it has been bringing us early T-storms. Unfortunately, that pretty much kills my afternoons, but since I don't have students anyway, I get to watch them. Of course, it makes keeping my car clean a bitch too. We need the moisture, so I am not complaining, but there is also a higher than usual risk of wildfire with T-storms so we will see what happens. At least if that happens, I get to watch the fire bombers barely clear the gas station at the end of the runway, and then thread their way through the terrain that they are too heavy to climb over. It is also going to make the few Cross Countries I have coming up in the semi near future interesting, but that just goes with the territory.

/randomness

[mj213]

Wow, all those notes. Reminds me of our refrigerator.

Hey you should learn some rock stuff, like Carry on Wayward Son, some SRV, that will help strengthen your fingers.

Another thing - your friend may disagree, but I use electric strings on my acoustic. Sure it's not as loud but it sounds smoother, and it's a LOT easier to bend, and is much less painful on the fingertips.

Did you see my thread about the car getting plowed into? Haha.. I kind of thought with as much time as I spent waiting for the cops to show up you'd have randomly driven by and seen me out there.. lol

Another cool song to learn is It's Over Now (Alice In Chains). Actually, another AiC song is Nutshell. I'm actually learning to sing while playing that song.

I believe that DES paid extra to have a glitchy system. Just one more way to discourage people from pursuing assistance.

[owequitit]

Wow, all those notes. Reminds me of our refrigerator.

Hey you should learn some rock stuff, like Carry on Wayward Son, some SRV, that will help strengthen your fingers.

Another thing - your friend may disagree, but I use electric strings on my acoustic. Sure it's not as loud but it sounds smoother, and it's a LOT easier to bend, and is much less painful on the fingertips.

Did you see my thread about the car getting plowed into? Haha.. I kind of thought with as much time as I spent waiting for the cops to show up you'd have randomly driven by and seen me out there.. lol

Another cool song to learn is It's Over Now (Alice In Chains). Actually, another AiC song is Nutshell. I'm actually learning to sing while playing that song.

I believe that DES paid extra to have a glitchy system. Just one more way to discourage people from pursuing assistance.

I thought about electric strings. I have Elixirs on there currently, and I love the way they sound, but the action on my acoustic is pretty gnarly anyway, so electric strings would probably help that. After a few days of playing, I usually get tough enough to where I can tolerate a few hours, but I will keep that in mind. Usually, if I get the calluses (sp) back, I do OK, but after awhile it does get painful. It would probably help my friend, as he is definitely having some strength issues, and is having a hard time forming power and barr chords on the acoustic, although he is getting better at that on the electric.

I saw your thread, but hadn't had a chance to reply just yet. 2 things. That sucks, I hope you cut his balls off and make him eat them. I am not at all surprised. I think now that it is NASCAR season again, we are going to have to put up with the shit again. I have noticed lots of random speeding up, changing lanes to block people, etc. The typical NASCAR season stuff, although this guy was just a dumbass. Where did this happen? I don't know if I was in that area today or not. Plus, I was pretty much home by 9:30 since my student stood me up at 0530. Dick. Your dude was a dick too. Stupid dicks.

I will look at those songs. There is a lot of AiC stuff I actually like, although SRV is probably not ready to be tackled yet. I have learned lots of little bits and pieces over the years, but have lacked the focus to concentrate on a whole song. Since a partial song isn't a song at all, I want to start with stuff that I know so that I have a base of reference for the rhythm. But as I get a little better at playing some really simple songs, then I will definitely expand into others. On a side note, I went to plug my acoustic in last night and apparently they didn't tighten the nut that holds the jack, so now I am going to have to fish it through the sound hold and resecure it, if I can get in there.

Yeah, as for DES, I think they have extensive countermeasures. From poor customer service, to remote locations, the funny smell in the lobby and the token crazy dude talking about his section 8 housing, his former girlfriend turned lesbian, to how he wished George Bush was till in office. LOL! Then, they take 3-4 weeks to process your claim, despite the fact that it takes nowhere near that long to suck it out of your paycheck, and by the time you get anything, you would already be a month behind if you were depending on it. Luckily, I anticipated this from years passed, and I sold the hatchback, so I have a little egg saved up for just an occasion, but seriously. What if you have kids to feed? "Hey guys, I love you, but you can't eat for a month because DES has to process the paperwork." I am going to see if there are any other functions available on campus, like admissions recruiting. I am also going to take another nest egg, and invest it, and come up with something structurally permanent to boost and stabilize my income like a side business or something. This only getting paid well 6-7 months out of the year sucks. Usually, by the time I start to make good money again, I am so far in a hole, it takes me the whole time to almost get out, so that I can go right back in. Fuck that.

/rant

Good luck with the insurance. Don't know if you have done that yet, but I can tell you from experience, that when his company complains, you are limited in leverage because of the age of the vehicle under A.R.S., but where you do have leverage is in "like and kind." I would personally explain to them that you are more than willing to excercise your right of refusal, and if you in anyway think the bumper doesn't look right because it is aftermarket and NOT OEM Honda, that you are going to refuse the car, and they can fix it again, until you are happy. They will try to muscle you, and just tell them to kiss your white ass because their stupid client hit you, and not the other way around. My guess is that if you let them know you aren't kidding, they will probably pay for the OEM bumper because the price difference isn't that much and the potential cost isn't worth it. Plus, you can tell them you have experience with those bumpers and they don't fit the same, so you are convinced they aren't like and kind. If it were me. And then kick that kid in the nuts again.

[mj213]

Haha.. thanks for the advice. I'm having my insurance provider cover me for now, and the police/geico will track that kid down. Since it was a hit and run, they had to find him. No calls as of yet, but I'm not holding my breath. Then again, it's a small town. You don't know a kid named Jake Carter do you? The guy that was driving behind him stopped to file an accident report, because he knew who he was (just not where he lived or how to reach him).

I went to Beals Auto Body today, I know the painter out there, and I told the guy I am going to fight for OEM Honda parts, not SortaFits. He actually LOLd when I said that. He told me that there's almost certainly a clause in the policy that allows parts to be oem approved but not original OEM components. They're Alternative or Optional OEM components. He DID say that if I am not happy with it, to complain and HE will tell them that I am not happy with the quality and fitment (I told him I work on the car a lot, and I KNOW the difference between quality parts and aftermarket garbage). He said that is exactly what he would do. After all, if I'm not happy, I AM his customer and he HAS to make good on the deal or they won't get paid for it.

Kai asked me why I didn't chase him down, I was thinking, probably for the same reason dogs don't actually catch cars when chasing them. There's no point. Should I P.I.T. maneuver him, and execute him GTA style? Nah. I'd rather go home to my family and be thankful that I wasn't injured.

Acoustics can be adjusted, the saddle can be lowered, and the truss rod adjusted. Helps lower the action to make it easier to play. Since you've got more free time, I could check the guitar out, maybe tweak it to play a bit better. Could also show you some stuff if you like. I've been playing for around 15 years, mostly metal, but I know a lot of non-metal stuff, too (No Doubt, Collective Soul, Green Day, Jewel, etc).

[owequitit]

Haha.. thanks for the advice. I'm having my insurance provider cover me for now, and the police/geico will track that kid down. Since it was a hit and run, they had to find him. No calls as of yet, but I'm not holding my breath. Then again, it's a small town. You don't know a kid named Jake Carter do you? The guy that was driving behind him stopped to file an accident report, because he knew who he was (just not where he lived or how to reach him).

I went to Beals Auto Body today, I know the painter out there, and I told the guy I am going to fight for OEM Honda parts, not SortaFits. He actually LOLd when I said that. He told me that there's almost certainly a clause in the policy that allows parts to be oem approved but not original OEM components. They're Alternative or Optional OEM components. He DID say that if I am not happy with it, to complain and HE will tell them that I am not happy with the quality and fitment (I told him I work on the car a lot, and I KNOW the difference between quality parts and aftermarket garbage). He said that is exactly what he would do. After all, if I'm not happy, I AM his customer and he HAS to make good on the deal or they won't get paid for it.

Kai asked me why I didn't chase him down, I was thinking, probably for the same reason dogs don't actually catch cars when chasing them. There's no point. Should I P.I.T. maneuver him, and execute him GTA style? Nah. I'd rather go home to my family and be thankful that I wasn't injured.

Acoustics can be adjusted, the saddle can be lowered, and the truss rod adjusted. Helps lower the action to make it easier to play. Since you've got more free time, I could check the guitar out, maybe tweak it to play a bit better. Could also show you some stuff if you like. I've been playing for around 15 years, mostly metal, but I know a lot of non-metal stuff, too (No Doubt, Collective Soul, Green Day, Jewel, etc).

If you are using YOUR insurance, it will be even easier.

We have had this conversation with insurance companies before, and since you are the one paying the bill, and they WILL count it as a claim, you have much more leverage.

I guarantee they are charging you for OEM parts. Not OEM equivalent, OEM. That is why when you insure a Honda they tell you "the parts are more expensive." If they can use it to justify higher coverage, you can use it to justify higher replacement part cost. My guess is that they won't fight you too much on it. Then, if they ever find the kid, they will just subrogate it with his insurance. Most likely, due to the circumstances, that won't be an issue.

Personally, I don't care what the clauses say, I beat them up until they give me what they want. I had used OEM parts put on the car the first time I got rearended, and they tried to tell me "it's fine since it is Honda" and it never worked the same. So the next time I got hit (there have been a few LOL) they put new shit on, and by the time we got done cornering them, they were happy to do it. There just is no satisfaction quite like the satisfaction of bending a huge company to your will. But you have to be tenacious, calculated and well, a dick like me.

Just tell them up front that you have dealt with aftermarket parts, and you don't like them, so it would be most advantageous to put OEM Honda on there since that is what you are paying for in your premiums anyway.

As for the guitar, we will have to see. I just got another student, I have to start studying for a multi-upgrade, need to update lesson plans, and get instrument current. The student, the upgrade and the currency all came within the last day LOL. I wasn't meant to be idle I suppose. I am sure we could work something out, although I don't really like playing with people I don't know too well. Also, how do you adjust them? The stuff on the electric is relatively easy to find, but I don't see anything that can be adjusted on the acoustic...or is it just a different setup?

[C91BLX7]

Fuck NASCAR taking up all of the speed channel

[owequitit]

Fuck NASCAR taking up all of the speed channel

LOL. Yeah. I don't mind NASCAR as much now that they can actually pass each other again, but I really don't like what it does to the locals.

[mj213]

No worries - the truss rod nut is usually at the heel of the neck, on the inside of the 'hole' in the body. Sometimes they're at the head above the nut (usually under a cover).

[deevergote]

Be careful adjusting the truss rod. You can do serious damage to the neck.

I had elixers on my accoustic. Then I went with something more expensive (I forget now... but they were crazy expensive) Those strings sucked. I'm going with Ernie Ball the next time. My singer swears by them, and his guitars sound amazing. Granted, I play a $200 takamine that I take lousy care of (the head is sitting against a window as I type this...), and he plays a Taylor...

I'm about to learn Swing Life Away by Rise Against. Great song.




Good luck with Landslide! That's a hell of a song to play.

[owequitit]

No worries - the truss rod nut is usually at the heel of the neck, on the inside of the 'hole' in the body. Sometimes they're at the head above the nut (usually under a cover).

LOL! I found it after I asked. It is an allen key. I am not going to adjust it though.

[owequitit]

Be careful adjusting the truss rod. You can do serious damage to the neck.

I had elixers on my accoustic. Then I went with something more expensive (I forget now... but they were crazy expensive) Those strings sucked. I'm going with Ernie Ball the next time. My singer swears by them, and his guitars sound amazing. Granted, I play a $200 takamine that I take lousy care of (the head is sitting against a window as I type this...), and he plays a Taylor...

I'm about to learn Swing Life Away by Rise Against. Great song.




Good luck with Landslide! That's a hell of a song to play.

I love the sound of the Elixirs on my acoustic. Of course, in general the guitar sounds decent for the price. I have played a couple of Taylors that sounded amazing, but my favorite so far was a Gibson. I can't remember now if it was a Kenny Wayne Shepard edition or a Jewel edition but it was incredible for like $3,000. Mine is an Ibanez, and for about $450 it sounds very decent. Of course, I have noticed that it has a fairly large body, which gives a richer deeper tone compared to many entry or affordable level guitars. I played a number in the price range I could afford, and liked this one the best, but like I told Matt, the action is pretty tough.

I haven't tried Ernie Ball acoustics, but I should since that is what I use on my electrics.

As for Landslide, I had much of the rhythm part down. It is the second (complex) part of the finger picking that I was working on months ago when I ran out of time to play. I think once I get the picking rhythm down (the main reason I want to learn it), I will be OK. Personally, I found it to be easier than Dust in the Wind.

I have the version of Swing Life Away from Punk Goes Acoustic. Not sure if that is the only version or not, but it is a good song when I am in the mood for it. I really liked Chalk Line by Strike Anywhere on that album. Perhaps I will learn that one too!

[TypeG]

got any junkyards near you? it's always fun finding gold nuggets. later.

[owequitit]

got any junkyards near you? it's always fun finding gold nuggets. later.

Yeah, I think there are two now. There was one that sometimes had good Honda stuff (got most of my SE interior there) but they pretty much cleared out their Honda section.

However, I should go up there and see if they have any Datsun stuff, and I need to go cruise the yards in Phoenix, since they might have Datsun stuff. There is only one window in the truck and it is getting wet.

I am going to go home and sun tan and hang out on the lake for Memorial Day, but when I get back I am going to clear out and clean the garage. That will probably make me a couple $$ plus it needs to be done. I have so much old Honda crap it isn't even funny. That will probably take me a few days, if it stops raining...