Note, this is just me rambling out loud in Blog form. No homeowners, or mortgage payers, or homes were harmed during this creation. Nor is this directed at any particular group(s),
person(s), or individual(s) nor their values/ideals/dreams.
American dream...buy house & pay it off in your lifetime...
Saw a headline on some newspaper today about how the current housing issues, and/or, crisis in our country is reshaping America. 'Tis odd to drive along some roads around here in Seaside & see former military housing units all boarded up. Kind of a good word picture. Some, if not the majority, don't have the luxury, for whatever the reason(s), to buy a home. So what becomes of those peoplez dreams? They can waste time on thinking upon the American dream which won't become a reality & possibly feel cruddy about themselves & not being able to keep up with their peers. Or they can reshape their thoughts upon what really matters & what is most important. I'm sure some choose to move far far & away, to a more affordable area just to have a piece of that American pie. But what do they give up in doing so? Everything they've built up where they have been living. I've asked self thousands of times, why stay on the Central Coast where the cost of living is ugh?! Why stay in California? The thought "Bloom where you're planted" returns to remind me that all is well. Others choose to live in affordable areas & then enter into unfathomable daily commutes. Add up such commute time a month & then project outwards & see what percent of one's life is spent in traffic jams. Meanwhile, the one(s) doing such commutes are exhausted/wiped out, leave before the sun rises, come home after the sun has set, & they miss out on the very persons & events under the roofs of the homes they commute to pay for. And that's a dream?
My definition of success is simply...Do I have what I need for my family today? And that sure got thrown for a loop during the unemployment stages. But the provision was always there.
I get to go to bed every night & hear the ocean .5 miles away. It doesn't get better than that for where we are at in the present moment.
Until later comes, turn it up to get Reshaped America...Get simple.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
iRetro
Long time no write. In my free time of the last week or so, I've been recording VH1's Rock Mania to see that which was once popular. I also came across a song I did enjoy back then but really didn't realize the meaning of it till now. Bon Jovi "Dead Or Alive." Did the countless bands of metal/hard rock go down the road of drinking & drugs just because it was there to do? Or were they driven towards the insanity of it all from being pushed so hard by management & promoters. Must keep recording. Must keep touring. No break allowed. You must make us more money. And in the end, when the music fades & all is stripped away, what's left is an overmarketed & overpromoted wreck & poof...it all becomes a dust in the wind memory, whether nightmare or not for the individual. Part of this revisiting was a rockumentary on the Def Leppard's Hysteria album I watched this week. Anyway so I pondered upon such things & then wrote...
The metal came & it was time to rock out
The jams, the intros, the leads, & shredders all around
I don't care what you looked or acted like just make your big rockin' sound
How'd it turn into big hair & strange glam gowns?
Make the big bigger & party on until you all fall or drown
And don't forget to do ballad drool to woo the masses & crowds
As if that wasn't enough how about doing an unplugged set & get you turned down?
Then poof the game was over & nowhere could any of you be found
Ya crashed & burned from being pushed beyond the limits playing town to town
Some died in their addictions & darkness that did enshroud
Welcome to the jungle baby where you'll fall from the top & crash into the ground
Was the ride worth it as you think back from the now?
Some of the remnants have done their rehab & are touring around
'Tis strange to think upon then & now & the attempted rebounds
Hard rock once was & was the dominant sound
But all has faded away & most of ya all have taken your final stage bows
There was dangerous & deadly madness to it all & you became the pawns & clowns
Welp this concludes my retro tour of the then & of stuff becoming unwound
Until later comes turn it up to retro.
The metal came & it was time to rock out
The jams, the intros, the leads, & shredders all around
I don't care what you looked or acted like just make your big rockin' sound
How'd it turn into big hair & strange glam gowns?
Make the big bigger & party on until you all fall or drown
And don't forget to do ballad drool to woo the masses & crowds
As if that wasn't enough how about doing an unplugged set & get you turned down?
Then poof the game was over & nowhere could any of you be found
Ya crashed & burned from being pushed beyond the limits playing town to town
Some died in their addictions & darkness that did enshroud
Welcome to the jungle baby where you'll fall from the top & crash into the ground
Was the ride worth it as you think back from the now?
Some of the remnants have done their rehab & are touring around
'Tis strange to think upon then & now & the attempted rebounds
Hard rock once was & was the dominant sound
But all has faded away & most of ya all have taken your final stage bows
There was dangerous & deadly madness to it all & you became the pawns & clowns
Welp this concludes my retro tour of the then & of stuff becoming unwound
Until later comes turn it up to retro.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
iBrink
Right now I don’t want to think
I do not wish to just sit & dink
I should not & do not want to shrink
I’d rather just close my eyes & not blink
On the edge of adversity I am once again upon the brink
Glad I don’t smoke nothing nor do I drink
I pause & stretch to get out some of the kinks
Sometimes the things of life just plain stinks
But that’s part of the game & the mystery Inc.
Joy is a cuddly cat in my lap with his nose pink
But soon though I must get busy looking at links
Can’t I just be some band’s roadie or guitar tech; Ha & kidding wink wink
I ought to do some o’ the dishes in the kitchen sink
I can’t lay low too long like Egypt’s sphinx
I must send out some paper with those things called words in ink
In the silence of now visions of the next can come into being
I don’t have to understand about anything of purpose or meaning
My believing in the new window or door will result in my seeing
Have a nice now, afternoon, & onward into this evening
Maybe I’ll go get mindless & stare for a while at the t.v.
All I can do is just keep swimming & breathing
I do not wish to just sit & dink
I should not & do not want to shrink
I’d rather just close my eyes & not blink
On the edge of adversity I am once again upon the brink
Glad I don’t smoke nothing nor do I drink
I pause & stretch to get out some of the kinks
Sometimes the things of life just plain stinks
But that’s part of the game & the mystery Inc.
Joy is a cuddly cat in my lap with his nose pink
But soon though I must get busy looking at links
Can’t I just be some band’s roadie or guitar tech; Ha & kidding wink wink
I ought to do some o’ the dishes in the kitchen sink
I can’t lay low too long like Egypt’s sphinx
I must send out some paper with those things called words in ink
In the silence of now visions of the next can come into being
I don’t have to understand about anything of purpose or meaning
My believing in the new window or door will result in my seeing
Have a nice now, afternoon, & onward into this evening
Maybe I’ll go get mindless & stare for a while at the t.v.
All I can do is just keep swimming & breathing
Thursday, August 23, 2007
iRevolution
Greetings blog reader(s),
First I claim all ignorance about the times & the issues. And I have not read or studied a thing about the times & the issues. So I'm going on only 1 source in this ramble. I was only very young at the time anyway.
I watched a documentary this week that was made in 2006 called The U.S. v.s John Lennon. All I really knew about him was The Beatles & songs & him being a song writer. That's it. Then he was shot dead.
I knew nothing of he & Yoko being the hard core activists they were in trying to join forces with other radicals to bring an end to the Viet Nam war. I did know of the "Give Peace A Chance" song. I learned that he & Yoko were basically an enemy of the state for the state hated him. The state was threatened by him. This quote was interesting "So flower power didn't work. Don't give up. Keep trying." They did, they kept pushing & pushing under the scrutiny & threats of the FBI. So the state used immigration to come after them to get them deported. I find it amusing that despite the state's best, injust, law bending attempts for 5 years to force deportation upon them, that the state failed. Peace was victorious over the injustice.
Lennon & Yoko stood their ground for wanting the war to come to an end & wanting peace. At the end of the documentary their lawyer shared that he got a call saying the appeals court has dropped the deportation issues as Watergate had already occurred. So the lawyer called John & that was the day they were on the way to the hospital to have their baby. Jullian was born on John's birthday & on the same day as freedom from the state.
One historian summed it up as "John was a man of trying to inspire peace. And that is admirable. Nixxon & Mr. Bush are men of death. And that's a bad thing."
Then I read on Yahoo headlines this morning about some U.S. report doubting the Iraqi leaders' ability to govern. Without diplomacy & leadership, what's a nation without peace supposed to do? It's a Mad Max kind of genre. May some out of the box radical visionary in our times figure out how to establish peace there. Our troops are there in harm's way to help the Iraqi people. That is admirable. But a way to peace must be found.
The word Shalom is a blessing. Shalom means peace, completeness, harmony, health, & welfare. May Shalom be upon Iraq & all who can influence change to bring about positive change.
Until later comes turn it up to Shalom.
First I claim all ignorance about the times & the issues. And I have not read or studied a thing about the times & the issues. So I'm going on only 1 source in this ramble. I was only very young at the time anyway.
I watched a documentary this week that was made in 2006 called The U.S. v.s John Lennon. All I really knew about him was The Beatles & songs & him being a song writer. That's it. Then he was shot dead.
I knew nothing of he & Yoko being the hard core activists they were in trying to join forces with other radicals to bring an end to the Viet Nam war. I did know of the "Give Peace A Chance" song. I learned that he & Yoko were basically an enemy of the state for the state hated him. The state was threatened by him. This quote was interesting "So flower power didn't work. Don't give up. Keep trying." They did, they kept pushing & pushing under the scrutiny & threats of the FBI. So the state used immigration to come after them to get them deported. I find it amusing that despite the state's best, injust, law bending attempts for 5 years to force deportation upon them, that the state failed. Peace was victorious over the injustice.
Lennon & Yoko stood their ground for wanting the war to come to an end & wanting peace. At the end of the documentary their lawyer shared that he got a call saying the appeals court has dropped the deportation issues as Watergate had already occurred. So the lawyer called John & that was the day they were on the way to the hospital to have their baby. Jullian was born on John's birthday & on the same day as freedom from the state.
One historian summed it up as "John was a man of trying to inspire peace. And that is admirable. Nixxon & Mr. Bush are men of death. And that's a bad thing."
Then I read on Yahoo headlines this morning about some U.S. report doubting the Iraqi leaders' ability to govern. Without diplomacy & leadership, what's a nation without peace supposed to do? It's a Mad Max kind of genre. May some out of the box radical visionary in our times figure out how to establish peace there. Our troops are there in harm's way to help the Iraqi people. That is admirable. But a way to peace must be found.
The word Shalom is a blessing. Shalom means peace, completeness, harmony, health, & welfare. May Shalom be upon Iraq & all who can influence change to bring about positive change.
Until later comes turn it up to Shalom.
Monday, August 20, 2007
iThought I saw a big strange commercial...
Hey-row,
This is your local neighborhood me just rambling. I have no idea what this will become once I introduce what the subject is about in this rambles. Nobody has to agree with me. It's just my blah blah opinion.
I watched the VH1 whatever press conference tonight for the Van Halen tour whilst diddling with kid clothing, aka laundry. I saw 3 ol' guys and an underage kid overhyping how great they are & how awesome & blah-de-blee-de-blah. I looked at them & said, "I don't care." I only cared about the guitar parts in the first place. I didn't care what the words were nor who was singing 'em.
Now before I continue, I think it's great that EVH is smiling, happy, sober, & playing & such. What disappoints me that in his 'new perspective' EVH & band are going to go out & play the same ol' older than PG-rated songs to the lemmings who just want to see guitar carnage. And I know that I shouldn't be surprised that they would go out & play their old stuff; I knew they would. After all they are a rock legend & that's what they do. If Hendrix suddenly appeared for a press conference announcing a tour, he'd do the same thing & he'd sell out just as fast. I'm speculating that momma Valerie will be tending to keeping wolfie outta the inappropriate scene. I just think it's stupid to put Wolfie into that adult mix. So what if he's a great bass player. Hello, he's not old enough for the scene nor for the lyrics.
Why is it EVH can reconcile with DLR but not with Michael Anthony? Oh that's right, what king EVH wants, king EVH gets. I'd have slightly more respect if Michael was playing instead of king junior. Haven't they learned anything in their older ages that the lyrical spooge that they've created is just that...spooge? They're cashing in because they can. Just because it's there to play, doesn't mean it should be played. But that's my own cringing opinion. Do something new & more meaningful for cryin' out loud.
I'm mad at the man whoever the man is. I don't know why I am but it just is. Maybe I'm mad at stripes or brown sound. I dunno. Maybe I'm mad at burgers burned brown. How does one go from being a recluse druggie drunk to smiling & playing well & not having the guts to say no to the old junk? Because it's all about the business of music ma'an.
Edward why are you doin' the ol' groovin'?
Spewing forth the gibberish upon the drooling humans
You are different now as the new is bloomin'
What good is it to resurrect the old in your renewin'?
Legendary, yes but there's nothing you need to be proovin'
But I guess you are entitled to do yer same ol' doin'
I shouldn't judge I know but you've overcome yer usin'
I guess for you to do away with the old was my own delusion
For you are a product to be marketed & the old is the money making solution
Does the world really need to hear once again the lyrical confusion?
I'd rather just hear you than all the in between noise pollution
You are coasting upon the history & ya now be crusin'
Well I hope ya'll have a great party & find much to be amusin'
May you rock on Edward but into more positive content may you be movin'
You done good in gettin' rid of the stuff you were abusin'
May the tones & setups be with thee & may yer guitars be in tunin'
Take care of your son most of all for the scene will be quite overwhelming & consumin'
I don't know why but I'm mad at you for the path you be choosin'
I hope from this now forward you won't come into any ruin
Doesn't matter though; I hope that your 'new perspective' you won't be losin'
This is your local neighborhood me just rambling. I have no idea what this will become once I introduce what the subject is about in this rambles. Nobody has to agree with me. It's just my blah blah opinion.
I watched the VH1 whatever press conference tonight for the Van Halen tour whilst diddling with kid clothing, aka laundry. I saw 3 ol' guys and an underage kid overhyping how great they are & how awesome & blah-de-blee-de-blah. I looked at them & said, "I don't care." I only cared about the guitar parts in the first place. I didn't care what the words were nor who was singing 'em.
Now before I continue, I think it's great that EVH is smiling, happy, sober, & playing & such. What disappoints me that in his 'new perspective' EVH & band are going to go out & play the same ol' older than PG-rated songs to the lemmings who just want to see guitar carnage. And I know that I shouldn't be surprised that they would go out & play their old stuff; I knew they would. After all they are a rock legend & that's what they do. If Hendrix suddenly appeared for a press conference announcing a tour, he'd do the same thing & he'd sell out just as fast. I'm speculating that momma Valerie will be tending to keeping wolfie outta the inappropriate scene. I just think it's stupid to put Wolfie into that adult mix. So what if he's a great bass player. Hello, he's not old enough for the scene nor for the lyrics.
Why is it EVH can reconcile with DLR but not with Michael Anthony? Oh that's right, what king EVH wants, king EVH gets. I'd have slightly more respect if Michael was playing instead of king junior. Haven't they learned anything in their older ages that the lyrical spooge that they've created is just that...spooge? They're cashing in because they can. Just because it's there to play, doesn't mean it should be played. But that's my own cringing opinion. Do something new & more meaningful for cryin' out loud.
I'm mad at the man whoever the man is. I don't know why I am but it just is. Maybe I'm mad at stripes or brown sound. I dunno. Maybe I'm mad at burgers burned brown. How does one go from being a recluse druggie drunk to smiling & playing well & not having the guts to say no to the old junk? Because it's all about the business of music ma'an.
Edward why are you doin' the ol' groovin'?
Spewing forth the gibberish upon the drooling humans
You are different now as the new is bloomin'
What good is it to resurrect the old in your renewin'?
Legendary, yes but there's nothing you need to be proovin'
But I guess you are entitled to do yer same ol' doin'
I shouldn't judge I know but you've overcome yer usin'
I guess for you to do away with the old was my own delusion
For you are a product to be marketed & the old is the money making solution
Does the world really need to hear once again the lyrical confusion?
I'd rather just hear you than all the in between noise pollution
You are coasting upon the history & ya now be crusin'
Well I hope ya'll have a great party & find much to be amusin'
May you rock on Edward but into more positive content may you be movin'
You done good in gettin' rid of the stuff you were abusin'
May the tones & setups be with thee & may yer guitars be in tunin'
Take care of your son most of all for the scene will be quite overwhelming & consumin'
I don't know why but I'm mad at you for the path you be choosin'
I hope from this now forward you won't come into any ruin
Doesn't matter though; I hope that your 'new perspective' you won't be losin'
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
They're kidding right?
Whilst driving home on Sunday am with the boys & Caleb's new found friends called chicken pox, Terra wanted to stop at this container store in some new shopping mecca on Steven's Creek Blvd. So we slowly hunt for the seemingly lacking open parking space in the parking garage thing they have there. Ok fast forwarding to trying to leave the garage. We're inching our way out behind the other cars. So apparently there's a new rule over the hill for parking garages that we weren't given knowledge of. Perhaps the memo didn't reach us. We stop for a car that is trying to back out. There really isn't any room for anyone to go anywhere while the backer is backing up. Yet to our left, not 1, but 2 & 3 cars go by thinking they're just going to sneak through some opening that has yet to exist in front of us all. The backer gets backed out & on their way & Terra starts to go & sure enough another lefty just goes by on our left & basically cuts us off. I figure all the commotion must have saved those sneaking by on the left perhaps a millisecond in their lives. But in their greed to get going they took up more than that of our time.
We are still dumbfounded at the impatience in this incident. I don't know if it's a culture thing or what. Ugh.
Until later comes turn it up darn lefty drivers in parking garages.
We are still dumbfounded at the impatience in this incident. I don't know if it's a culture thing or what. Ugh.
Until later comes turn it up darn lefty drivers in parking garages.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Wisdom of the elders
A bit ago I wrote that entry about the journey through the decades. Today out of the blue a something was on my heart that I wrote about tonight for a simple newsletter thing. When I started the article I only had the base thought & as it morphed & came to be this is a snippet of what I came up with:
It’s not hard to look at society today & see how disconnected society is becoming. The very root system of humanity is at stake & that system is family. I think upon the tragic terror of 9/11 & how for a brief moment, most people we’re driven into their homes & wanted to stay there with family & friends due to fear. Then I think upon the stark contrast of the failed responses from local, state, & national government in the Katrina disaster that prevented the needed help reaching those most in need, the weak & the poor. In a very short time period we’ve seen what the lack of selfless love can do. We’ve seen what hatred can do to lives & what local government politics & logistics can do to shatter lives. The 9/11 terror was city blocks. Katrina was whole cities. But there’s one easily forgotten that affected nations. One of the worst examples to date is the worst gang in history which was led by Hitler & led to the holocaust; please rent & watch the movie Freedom Writers.
On Saturday I had to run a couple of errands & one of them was to the library to return books the boys had. As I was walking out an elder gentlemen was at the automatic door when I was. First I simply allowed him to go first. Then just randomly I just simply asked him "If you could give wisdom to the youth of society today in one sentence what would you say?" His reply was wisely, I think, "What ideas do you have?" I basically mentioned something similar to the 1st part of this writing to him. I then simply asked him "Did you serve in the military?" He said yes, & I simply said thank you for your sacrifice. What I realized is that from dad's geezer email he sent a bit ago combined with my stepping out of my comfort zone, that we youngins have a lot we need learn from our elders.
Have you stopped to ask a geezer elder for wisdom today?
Until later comes, turn it up to may the wisdom be with us.
It’s not hard to look at society today & see how disconnected society is becoming. The very root system of humanity is at stake & that system is family. I think upon the tragic terror of 9/11 & how for a brief moment, most people we’re driven into their homes & wanted to stay there with family & friends due to fear. Then I think upon the stark contrast of the failed responses from local, state, & national government in the Katrina disaster that prevented the needed help reaching those most in need, the weak & the poor. In a very short time period we’ve seen what the lack of selfless love can do. We’ve seen what hatred can do to lives & what local government politics & logistics can do to shatter lives. The 9/11 terror was city blocks. Katrina was whole cities. But there’s one easily forgotten that affected nations. One of the worst examples to date is the worst gang in history which was led by Hitler & led to the holocaust; please rent & watch the movie Freedom Writers.
On Saturday I had to run a couple of errands & one of them was to the library to return books the boys had. As I was walking out an elder gentlemen was at the automatic door when I was. First I simply allowed him to go first. Then just randomly I just simply asked him "If you could give wisdom to the youth of society today in one sentence what would you say?" His reply was wisely, I think, "What ideas do you have?" I basically mentioned something similar to the 1st part of this writing to him. I then simply asked him "Did you serve in the military?" He said yes, & I simply said thank you for your sacrifice. What I realized is that from dad's geezer email he sent a bit ago combined with my stepping out of my comfort zone, that we youngins have a lot we need learn from our elders.
Have you stopped to ask a geezer elder for wisdom today?
Until later comes, turn it up to may the wisdom be with us.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
The influence of decades
I was thinking, yes we know John you think a lot but be brief please, in terms of decades & how the main issues of the time affect/affected society.
60's - Viet Nam, hippies, peace & love, psychedelia, & such, and all men elligible for the draft fearing their number would be picked. A challenged generation for sure.
70's - Nam recovery & fallout throughout the nation, I guess Disco music was the main thing I remember as I was 3 to 13 in that decade so I don't know much else than that. I deny all knowlege senator.
80's - The decade that hi-tech began & gizmoids & gadgets at home were becomming the norm, Disco being the norm & then dying to punk & new Wave music, & the Madonna & Divas & rap music mixed with the start of hard rock/metal fronted by Eddie Van Halen restoring the guitar to it's place in rock music in our side of the world. Music videos birthed.
90's - More & more high tech, Metal music & big & even bigger hair peaked & swiftly melted away to hip-hop, gangsta rap, boy/girl groups, & grunge, and even more tech gadgets, birth of cell phones. The generation of "push a button get a response & get angry when the response takes too long." The birth of CGI animation to contribute to the movie experience. The start of email as the norm of communication, thereby speeding up company productivity & helping people be a bit more connected, but at the same time email becomming the only way some communicated & so people started to become disconnected.
2000 - 9/11 & the world stopped for a moment to try & see what is important, and our nation was brought a bit closer together, Iraq's 1st chance at freedom from the unjust & dishonest dictator began but with that birth comes a lot of growing pains that nobody is able to stick around for as our soldiers are there in harm's way to serve our country & to protect the Iragi people who cannot do so for themselves. Reality shows. Hi-tech having a hangover from 20 years of partying & silicon valley going bust, the generation of Instant/text messaging, of DVDs, flat & plasma t.v.s, cell phones & personal portable gadgets that must be had by all, birth of digital media in portable formats, thereby leading society to beginning to become more isoloated & disconnected like never before & everyone fending for themselves. The very gizmoids & gadgets all are seeking contributing to global warming & the call to go green now. Green cars. Reunion tours of bands from the 80's. Paris Hilton being the spokesperson & example that all girls want to be & follow. If we don't live like we first did after 9/11 realizing what is important & that all the other stuff & the so & so who's hot in Hollywood or which celebrity has messed themselves up today, or what's the #1 anything on any chart doesn't matter.
Terra was profound in helping me learn that at about the same time the world was watching Princess Diana having her funeral and the media broadcasting it in celebrity style, the simple woman of love who gave her life to the poor & sick, Mother Theresa was having her funeral with a poor quality broadcast & most people not even aware of it.
In the golf world Tiger Woods is gifted & amazing & is watched & is the one who is hard to beat. The day after losing the U.S. Open, his baby was born. How many are going to talk just about that Tiger should've done this or that differently & he could've of won it with this shot or putt. And behind closed doors away from the media, I'm sure becomming acquainted with new angel & connecting deeply with his wife far outweigh being 2nd in the tournament. The business of golf for him has it place & time of course....just not now.
I find it interesting that two celebrities whom millions have watched, heard, & talked about have undergone life & perspective changing events...
1) Edward Van Halen - Guitar legend, Alcoholic & drug addict, all songs put out since '78 were about sex, drugs, or rock 'n roll maybe with some love schmooze ballad thrown, divorced, father of overweight teen, wanted to go out on the road with original singer with teen son as the bass player. So going out & once again spewing forth the not so great lyrics upon millions, the planned reunion summer tour is cancelled & he checks himself into rehab & comes out looking better & happy. He probably learned that he needed to become the father his son never had. Will his change for the better change anything about any future music or tours? Don't know, but I would hope so & millions would benefit from hearing from him. Doesn't matter if he ever plays live, records, or tours again. What he does with his time with his son & himself does matter.
2) Paris Hilton - Somehow became celebrity & just played & acted stoopid & was the model for fashion, selfishness, greed, etc. Forced into jail for her stuff, & supposedly has changed. Somehow I think her whiny snibbly whatever ways will take longer than a week in jail to make that a lasting positive change.
9/11 was an instant & put the system into shock & was a wakeup call. Perhaps celebrities who undergo such a transformation will somehow have a more lasting & positive influence & impact on society.
60's - Viet Nam, hippies, peace & love, psychedelia, & such, and all men elligible for the draft fearing their number would be picked. A challenged generation for sure.
70's - Nam recovery & fallout throughout the nation, I guess Disco music was the main thing I remember as I was 3 to 13 in that decade so I don't know much else than that. I deny all knowlege senator.
80's - The decade that hi-tech began & gizmoids & gadgets at home were becomming the norm, Disco being the norm & then dying to punk & new Wave music, & the Madonna & Divas & rap music mixed with the start of hard rock/metal fronted by Eddie Van Halen restoring the guitar to it's place in rock music in our side of the world. Music videos birthed.
90's - More & more high tech, Metal music & big & even bigger hair peaked & swiftly melted away to hip-hop, gangsta rap, boy/girl groups, & grunge, and even more tech gadgets, birth of cell phones. The generation of "push a button get a response & get angry when the response takes too long." The birth of CGI animation to contribute to the movie experience. The start of email as the norm of communication, thereby speeding up company productivity & helping people be a bit more connected, but at the same time email becomming the only way some communicated & so people started to become disconnected.
2000 - 9/11 & the world stopped for a moment to try & see what is important, and our nation was brought a bit closer together, Iraq's 1st chance at freedom from the unjust & dishonest dictator began but with that birth comes a lot of growing pains that nobody is able to stick around for as our soldiers are there in harm's way to serve our country & to protect the Iragi people who cannot do so for themselves. Reality shows. Hi-tech having a hangover from 20 years of partying & silicon valley going bust, the generation of Instant/text messaging, of DVDs, flat & plasma t.v.s, cell phones & personal portable gadgets that must be had by all, birth of digital media in portable formats, thereby leading society to beginning to become more isoloated & disconnected like never before & everyone fending for themselves. The very gizmoids & gadgets all are seeking contributing to global warming & the call to go green now. Green cars. Reunion tours of bands from the 80's. Paris Hilton being the spokesperson & example that all girls want to be & follow. If we don't live like we first did after 9/11 realizing what is important & that all the other stuff & the so & so who's hot in Hollywood or which celebrity has messed themselves up today, or what's the #1 anything on any chart doesn't matter.
Terra was profound in helping me learn that at about the same time the world was watching Princess Diana having her funeral and the media broadcasting it in celebrity style, the simple woman of love who gave her life to the poor & sick, Mother Theresa was having her funeral with a poor quality broadcast & most people not even aware of it.
In the golf world Tiger Woods is gifted & amazing & is watched & is the one who is hard to beat. The day after losing the U.S. Open, his baby was born. How many are going to talk just about that Tiger should've done this or that differently & he could've of won it with this shot or putt. And behind closed doors away from the media, I'm sure becomming acquainted with new angel & connecting deeply with his wife far outweigh being 2nd in the tournament. The business of golf for him has it place & time of course....just not now.
I find it interesting that two celebrities whom millions have watched, heard, & talked about have undergone life & perspective changing events...
1) Edward Van Halen - Guitar legend, Alcoholic & drug addict, all songs put out since '78 were about sex, drugs, or rock 'n roll maybe with some love schmooze ballad thrown, divorced, father of overweight teen, wanted to go out on the road with original singer with teen son as the bass player. So going out & once again spewing forth the not so great lyrics upon millions, the planned reunion summer tour is cancelled & he checks himself into rehab & comes out looking better & happy. He probably learned that he needed to become the father his son never had. Will his change for the better change anything about any future music or tours? Don't know, but I would hope so & millions would benefit from hearing from him. Doesn't matter if he ever plays live, records, or tours again. What he does with his time with his son & himself does matter.
2) Paris Hilton - Somehow became celebrity & just played & acted stoopid & was the model for fashion, selfishness, greed, etc. Forced into jail for her stuff, & supposedly has changed. Somehow I think her whiny snibbly whatever ways will take longer than a week in jail to make that a lasting positive change.
9/11 was an instant & put the system into shock & was a wakeup call. Perhaps celebrities who undergo such a transformation will somehow have a more lasting & positive influence & impact on society.
Monday, June 18, 2007
I lived in a yellow submarine for a moment
We were at the beach on Saturday hoping the sun would join us there. Brought the life vests for the boys & myself to possibly go out in me kayak providing wind & wave conditions were not too harsh. So after sitting in me chair for a bit & watching the surf it seemed to be kind of small & non-threatening. So I got the yak pumped up & ready to go but I went by myself for the first tour. I stood in the nice cold water watching the set of waves trying to time when to dart out past the surfline so I could just float around. I saw a lull & so I went for it. I have done this kind of entry before at the beach & I know that once you commit to getting out, you go for it as hard as you can until past the waves. I did paddle hard while watching the little bumps of already broken waves coming along that I breezed right through with no concern. Then I saw it. A lump appeared out of nowhere unexpectedly & I knew that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The lump got bigger & I paddled harder staring it down. Kind of like the attitude of you won't get me without a fight bucko! As I approached the wave that was forming I realized that no matter how hard I try & no matter what I'm a gonna do, this wave is going to break right on my bow & cause a lot of havoc upon my whole being. I haven't been in such a situation before & all I knew was paddle as hard as I could. I paddled hard & the wave broke just as I had expected on my bow & I sure helped it by leaning backwards, and it just smacked the yak, got it all topsy turvy, & going sideways. And as good as the yak is, it's not built for being pushed sideways by a wave & over it turns in the whitewater. I'm smacked down ma'an! Dude game over. I'm tumbling under water, & tumbling, which is not a big deal as I had my life vest on & such. The wave finally & graciously lets go of me, I get up & grab my soaking wet hat that rose to the surface & put it on my head anyway. I weighed about 20 pounds heavier as my sweatshirt is now soaked. I saunter over to the overturned yak, turned it right side up, grabbed one of it's rope things on the bow & out of breath & wiped out, I put my tail between my legs, my pride crushed, & I wander back to our spot on the beach. I must have swallowed a gallon of saltwater in the wipeout as my stomach was just going yuck for a bit afterwards. My arms were shaking from the unexpected 100 yard dash to compete with el bumpo wave that couldn't have been more than 3 feet in height that couldn't have waited about 5 more seconds to break. I was there ma'an. I had it made. And the wave said NO, you shall not pass. It would have been a hilarious video if Terra had taken one to post up on Stupid Videos.
Where's John? Oh he's enjoying his yellow submarine. ha.
Until later comes turn it up to ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha wipeout.
Where's John? Oh he's enjoying his yellow submarine. ha.
Until later comes turn it up to ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha wipeout.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Don't miss out, Free upgrade...
So the PC world is a buzz about Microsoft Vista operating system. All computer makers are only focussing on Vista ready or capable systems now. That's nice...yawn. Don't need a new computer anytime soon. I have XP with service pack 2 at home & at work. Usually no problems & it's pretty stable. You'd think that would be the case with XP being out for the time it has been.
I did have to venture into the realm of testing something in Vista through VMWare. I just think & go ugh. They've done it again. UI totally revamped & changed. I thought the jump from Windows 2000 to XP was odd & hard to get used to at first. Then I tried to do the testing in Vista & to do anything you were used to doing in XP, such as configuring network settings & such, became a very foreign land. Then I had to do the same in testing using a Japanese version of Vista...that was fun trying to guess which icon or button to push. I think I melted in that journey.
So what I'm first getting at is that if I were to buy a new computer today, I would be forced to use Vista because that's all that computer manufacturers are putting on their systems. They are bowing down to Big Brother Gates, controller of Windows. It's the in thing to do & consumers don't get any say in it. And ya probably wouldn't find it easy to find a valid Windows XP installation disk to redo the system to be what you want it to be. I guess you could go the Linux route but no thanks.
The trigger to write this was that a friend bought her daughter a computer that was Vista capable but that was before Vista upgrades for Windows XP were available so HP included that once the Vista upgrade was available it would be sent to them for free. My friend is able to get around computers fairly well & she ventured into the upgrade process & did everything very well in terms of creating recovery disks & such before upgrading. I was impressed. She applied the upgrade which took something like 2 hours to do. Thanks Microsoft. I'm sure your customers really appreciate that. I got a call from her the other day saying that her computer won't start anymore & gets a cryptic message saying Operating system missing. She told me that she had applied the upgrade & soon after this problem appeared. I went over last night to help her with it & I first got the recovery disks to recover the XP that was there & intact prior to the upgrade. Got it all recovered & working fine or even better than fine 'cause I'm good.
In the process it hit me. Hmmm...XP on system for daughter who mainly does some things on the internet, sends emails, & maybe plays some games. I then asked myself "Why upgrade to Vista? What is the motivating factor to do so besides that it was there for free to do?" I couldn't think of any good reason. I asked friend if she did the upgrade based solely on that it was there for free to do. So the outcome was, leave the system as XP & forget Vista upgrade. First time around the upgrade didn't do so well with this particular computer so first impressions aren't that great for a process that takes over 2 hours to complete.
So I queried a couple of co-workers & asked basically what does upgrading to 32 bit Vista from XP gain someone? Basically the answer was, not a whole lot & there's no good motivating factor to do so unless you have 2 GB of memory or something crazy like that. And their responses did include comments about how the UI keeps getting mucked with with each new Windows release.
I can't imagine how many people try to do the upgrade just because their system is Vista capable & the upgrade came for free. What's even more scary is that the instructions that come with the upgrade don't really make it obvious that if you go through a recovery disk creation process, that process does NOT include backing up personal files & data. Step 1 does say "Go backup your stuff first." I guess one would have to know that the term & paradigm of an OS recovery disk does not include backing up your stuff you don't want lost.
I'm wondering how many people do the upgrade without first backing up their own data & personal files because they think the recovery process will do that for them or they don't understand the process enough. I can just hear the thousands of digital photo files disappearing for forever from people's computers. But then it's commonly known that ya should have a backup process planned out on an ongoing basis. And with USB drives getting smaller & with more capacity, backing up is a breeze. I get to enjoy a work provided 160 GB Western Digital USB drive that Costco has been carrying. I like it a lot.
So in regards to upgrading to a major OS revision, what does this new widget give you that you don't have in your stable XP operating system? If the answer doesn't include some major compelling reason, then stick with the motto "If it ain't broke, don't try to fix or upgrade it to a new OS." If it is broke, call your nearest me & I can try to help you take it outside & smash it up. ha.
For those about to endure Vista, may success be with thee but proceed at your own risk & be prepared for the time it will take afterwards no matter the result.
Until later comes, just say no to Vista all you XP users.
I did have to venture into the realm of testing something in Vista through VMWare. I just think & go ugh. They've done it again. UI totally revamped & changed. I thought the jump from Windows 2000 to XP was odd & hard to get used to at first. Then I tried to do the testing in Vista & to do anything you were used to doing in XP, such as configuring network settings & such, became a very foreign land. Then I had to do the same in testing using a Japanese version of Vista...that was fun trying to guess which icon or button to push. I think I melted in that journey.
So what I'm first getting at is that if I were to buy a new computer today, I would be forced to use Vista because that's all that computer manufacturers are putting on their systems. They are bowing down to Big Brother Gates, controller of Windows. It's the in thing to do & consumers don't get any say in it. And ya probably wouldn't find it easy to find a valid Windows XP installation disk to redo the system to be what you want it to be. I guess you could go the Linux route but no thanks.
The trigger to write this was that a friend bought her daughter a computer that was Vista capable but that was before Vista upgrades for Windows XP were available so HP included that once the Vista upgrade was available it would be sent to them for free. My friend is able to get around computers fairly well & she ventured into the upgrade process & did everything very well in terms of creating recovery disks & such before upgrading. I was impressed. She applied the upgrade which took something like 2 hours to do. Thanks Microsoft. I'm sure your customers really appreciate that. I got a call from her the other day saying that her computer won't start anymore & gets a cryptic message saying Operating system missing. She told me that she had applied the upgrade & soon after this problem appeared. I went over last night to help her with it & I first got the recovery disks to recover the XP that was there & intact prior to the upgrade. Got it all recovered & working fine or even better than fine 'cause I'm good.
In the process it hit me. Hmmm...XP on system for daughter who mainly does some things on the internet, sends emails, & maybe plays some games. I then asked myself "Why upgrade to Vista? What is the motivating factor to do so besides that it was there for free to do?" I couldn't think of any good reason. I asked friend if she did the upgrade based solely on that it was there for free to do. So the outcome was, leave the system as XP & forget Vista upgrade. First time around the upgrade didn't do so well with this particular computer so first impressions aren't that great for a process that takes over 2 hours to complete.
So I queried a couple of co-workers & asked basically what does upgrading to 32 bit Vista from XP gain someone? Basically the answer was, not a whole lot & there's no good motivating factor to do so unless you have 2 GB of memory or something crazy like that. And their responses did include comments about how the UI keeps getting mucked with with each new Windows release.
I can't imagine how many people try to do the upgrade just because their system is Vista capable & the upgrade came for free. What's even more scary is that the instructions that come with the upgrade don't really make it obvious that if you go through a recovery disk creation process, that process does NOT include backing up personal files & data. Step 1 does say "Go backup your stuff first." I guess one would have to know that the term & paradigm of an OS recovery disk does not include backing up your stuff you don't want lost.
I'm wondering how many people do the upgrade without first backing up their own data & personal files because they think the recovery process will do that for them or they don't understand the process enough. I can just hear the thousands of digital photo files disappearing for forever from people's computers. But then it's commonly known that ya should have a backup process planned out on an ongoing basis. And with USB drives getting smaller & with more capacity, backing up is a breeze. I get to enjoy a work provided 160 GB Western Digital USB drive that Costco has been carrying. I like it a lot.
So in regards to upgrading to a major OS revision, what does this new widget give you that you don't have in your stable XP operating system? If the answer doesn't include some major compelling reason, then stick with the motto "If it ain't broke, don't try to fix or upgrade it to a new OS." If it is broke, call your nearest me & I can try to help you take it outside & smash it up. ha.
For those about to endure Vista, may success be with thee but proceed at your own risk & be prepared for the time it will take afterwards no matter the result.
Until later comes, just say no to Vista all you XP users.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Things of guitar kit-dom
Rambles of things about kit guitar-dom. They are an interesting adventure, especially when they are rapidly assembled by stressed out & overwhelmed kit provider prior to shipping.
First thing I noticed was some string buzz on the lower strings in the first couple o' frets. It's got an original floyd bridge clone which doesn't have individual saddles for each string; a saddle allows you to adjust the action of an individual string. So to set action is basically screw bridge all the way down & slowly raise each side so no more string buzz occurs on the 1st 12 frets of each string. It took a bit of tweaking but I seem to have gotten it. Too bad I have to take it all apart. ha. I might upgrade the bridge to something that has the saddles for each string as I use those GHS Boomers that have thicker Low E, A, D strings. With the bridge it has on there, the action would have to be raised higher & it would feel like the strings were in outer space.
The 2nd thing I noticed was that the high E string was very close to the edge of the neck & easily slipped off the neck while playing. It also felt weird to bend or tap on it. I peaked at the back of the neck & sure enuff the locking nut was positioned without much care or attention to detail & gave the Low E more room on the fret board as the nut hung over the neck's edge on the low E side.
The 3rd thing I thought I needed to do was finish the back of the neck & fretboard. I was not feeling too comfortable with learning that process, although it sounds much easier than doing up a body with 5150 or whatever stripes. ReRanch.com has good instruction for finishing a guitar's neck along with a Wood Satin Clear finish. After emailing John G., the paint guy who wrote the book, I realized that I didn't have to finish the fretboard or the back of the neck as the natural wood feel feels great.
I could start taking it all apart & priming the body as the primer isn't too much. But I'll have to wait a while to get the desired paint & chrome paint kit that I'll also be using for it. The chrome kit is like $115+shipping & the needed paint supplies is like $125 + $42 for the primer + $18 for the final rubbing compound. It sure would be nice to walk into a store to get these supplies but there's no store I can find that carries urethane based things. I'm guessing there's some environmental thing in our state that does not allow for these products to be obtained easily. So ya gotta pay shipping if ya want to play the painting game.
Anyway that's the life of this kit at the moment. Strange thing is that I haven't plugged it into me amp yet. Busy busy with boys & such.
Side note: I learned this week that after 10+ years of having this amp, that I've hardly used, the effect return input jack is a stereo, tip-ring-sleeve-jack so I can have major stereo mojo from my Quadraverb 2's output running into the amp. Way cool.
Until later comes, turn it up to kit-dom.
First thing I noticed was some string buzz on the lower strings in the first couple o' frets. It's got an original floyd bridge clone which doesn't have individual saddles for each string; a saddle allows you to adjust the action of an individual string. So to set action is basically screw bridge all the way down & slowly raise each side so no more string buzz occurs on the 1st 12 frets of each string. It took a bit of tweaking but I seem to have gotten it. Too bad I have to take it all apart. ha. I might upgrade the bridge to something that has the saddles for each string as I use those GHS Boomers that have thicker Low E, A, D strings. With the bridge it has on there, the action would have to be raised higher & it would feel like the strings were in outer space.
The 2nd thing I noticed was that the high E string was very close to the edge of the neck & easily slipped off the neck while playing. It also felt weird to bend or tap on it. I peaked at the back of the neck & sure enuff the locking nut was positioned without much care or attention to detail & gave the Low E more room on the fret board as the nut hung over the neck's edge on the low E side.
The 3rd thing I thought I needed to do was finish the back of the neck & fretboard. I was not feeling too comfortable with learning that process, although it sounds much easier than doing up a body with 5150 or whatever stripes. ReRanch.com has good instruction for finishing a guitar's neck along with a Wood Satin Clear finish. After emailing John G., the paint guy who wrote the book, I realized that I didn't have to finish the fretboard or the back of the neck as the natural wood feel feels great.
I could start taking it all apart & priming the body as the primer isn't too much. But I'll have to wait a while to get the desired paint & chrome paint kit that I'll also be using for it. The chrome kit is like $115+shipping & the needed paint supplies is like $125 + $42 for the primer + $18 for the final rubbing compound. It sure would be nice to walk into a store to get these supplies but there's no store I can find that carries urethane based things. I'm guessing there's some environmental thing in our state that does not allow for these products to be obtained easily. So ya gotta pay shipping if ya want to play the painting game.
Anyway that's the life of this kit at the moment. Strange thing is that I haven't plugged it into me amp yet. Busy busy with boys & such.
Side note: I learned this week that after 10+ years of having this amp, that I've hardly used, the effect return input jack is a stereo, tip-ring-sleeve-jack so I can have major stereo mojo from my Quadraverb 2's output running into the amp. Way cool.
Until later comes, turn it up to kit-dom.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Service, schmirvice #2
Ok so back to service issues. I'm stuck on this. First experience was stopping at Chevy's at Westgate on Sun. to eat mom's day dinner with Terra & her mom & dad & boys as we had journeyed to IKEA to look about. We go in about 8pm & the wait is about an hour. Turns out only 2 servers were available as the manager sent most of the wait staff home early due to a lull. HELLO McFly! It's mother's day & the mother's are out with family & hopefully at play all day. Later dinners are probably the norm for mother's day. Sheez so we bailed & hit Red Robin & Monster Burgers. yum.
2nd) In regards to the previous entry about the one entity who expected me to chase them down for a not so cheap item...
2nd) In regards to the previous entry about the one entity who expected me to chase them down for a not so cheap item...
- Got email last week saying the item was shipping that week.
- No new information by Fri. afternoon so emailed to find out status.
- Get back "The FedEx labels will be printed tonight & things will be shipped out next week"
- So Friday night was the end of the week, for the week the item was to be shipped, & still not shipped. Grumble factor increasing.
- So no new information on Mon. am so I left a voice message & in grumpy way stated "I don't care about when 'they' are shipping out. I want to know when MY item will be shipped & to please call me on my cell.
- Monday night came around & still no return call.
- Sent email getting more frustrated at the lack of customer service & stated that if I cannot talk somebody soon about this then I'll consider cancelling my order.
- Response was in a tone of the company who has stated the thing I ordered, & paid for, & therefore mine already, is mad at their customers for getting mad at them. You want customers yet you are going to get mad them for wanting what you're selling them.
- So I wrote back & explained in a nice way how it's very confusing on our end & reminded him of the simple concept of sitting at a table starving waiting for the waiter to show up but never does.
- I also threw out possibly getting a temp. someone to be the one-on-one human voice that is greatly lacking in this process.
- He wrote back stating that the company is struggling & blah-de-blah & that I wasn't the first one to get uppity about the lack of service, etc.
- I could relate to a small company going through struggles because I work for one. I just encouraged him to press on.
- He wrote back an apology for the lack of response & then offered a generous addition to the order. I was actually amazed.
Attention businesses who want customers....Please make available a human being to answer phones & emails in a timely, friendly, & knowledgable way. Dont' make the customer chase you down. Don't tell the customer that you're busy & trying to get stuff out the door or busy doing what's a natural part of your buiness. That's part of your existence & you'd rather be busy wouldn't you? Don't get mad at the customers for being mad at the lack of replies & responses as you have our stuff & we want to know what's going on with it. If you're behind just say you're number 57 on the list so it'll go out Wednesday or Thursday; that's better than us not having any idea at all about status. Regardless if I'm spending 5 cents or $500,000 on your product, treat me the same as if I am gold to you. And please note that how you treat me during my first communication with you will determine if I will be a customer & look at & buy your products. As you know there are many sources for acquiring that which you have to offer. I have no problem looking for another provider or even paying a little bit more money. Now I return you to your process flows & such.
Ok until later comes turn it up to oh servant person come hither.Troops & Iraq
Saturday when me pa was over for the boys game, we drove to Costco for Costco chow. And whilst travelling about I asked him from his wisdom & life experiences about the Iraq situation. The root of the issue is establishing diplomatic order & peace. Many argue, we didn't need an invitation to come in. Why do we need an invitation to leave? Establishing peace seems an insurmountable task. And the process is costing lives of citizens of the region & yes our soldiers. Would pulling troops out solve anything or do anything good for the people there? That to me seems like the adults walking out on a kindergarten class & let the kids do their own thing unsupervised all day long. What you get is mess, disorder, chaos, & most likely kids hurt or crying. I heard this in a moment yesterday on the radio when I was parking at a store & I didn't hear anything before these words
"...To serve & protect & to help the Iraqi people."
I do not know what all the little victories & successes are with troop present there. But I'm sure there are stories of courage, of feeling protected in a time of great fear, Of children seeing the troops there & knowing that there's someone here to help us because they're scared & unsure. When entering the service one is expected to have the courage to put onesself in harm's way for others. And serving the Iraqi people is the mission. I don't like to hear of attacks on our troops and some dying. The most common question is "What are they dying for?" They are simply dying so that others might have a better life than they have had in many years. So they aren't dying for nothing. They're dying for the freedom of oppressed people. There's no greater offering than to lay down one's life for one's friend or for one who you are helping. May the grieving friends & family of those who have died somehow come to realize that they died trying to help others in need.
"...To serve & protect & to help the Iraqi people."
I do not know what all the little victories & successes are with troop present there. But I'm sure there are stories of courage, of feeling protected in a time of great fear, Of children seeing the troops there & knowing that there's someone here to help us because they're scared & unsure. When entering the service one is expected to have the courage to put onesself in harm's way for others. And serving the Iraqi people is the mission. I don't like to hear of attacks on our troops and some dying. The most common question is "What are they dying for?" They are simply dying so that others might have a better life than they have had in many years. So they aren't dying for nothing. They're dying for the freedom of oppressed people. There's no greater offering than to lay down one's life for one's friend or for one who you are helping. May the grieving friends & family of those who have died somehow come to realize that they died trying to help others in need.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Jammers & Jams that are hidden & lost to time...
We all, well most of those interested in things of guitar players, & jams & such, know the story of Michael Jackson & the solo part of the song Beat It. Edward Van Halen was asked to come do the solo for it & EVH agreed to just do it for free or what have you. Then the solo became one of top leads EVH has ever done & it was probably 1 take or so. Sheez. And it's a song lost to time as well as a 'classic' lead being lost to the wind. I remember way back then Mad magazine did a spoof about it somehow how having funny drawings of Jackson and/or his people calling Edward Van Halen and/or his people to see if EVH would just jam over to the studio to lay a solo down for the song Beat It and how EVH aftwards regretted doing it for free & fun as Beat It was such a huge hit. Guess you had to see the Mad Magazine issue or be there. Those who have ions of time could go try to dig it up somewhere I guess. Onward...
So that reminded of me of solos hidden in the popularity of movies in the industry & how the coolest riffs, music, & total outpouring of the musicians & their talents, etc. just hide. I still have yet to hear in full the song EVH & Alex Van Halen did for the movie Twister which got nominated for a Grammy. I'll have to do the EBay thing to get the sound track's CD I guess. So where I am rambling in all this? I dunno I forgot....uhm...oh yeah...lost or never heard or hidden solos. Sorry, I must have gotten lost for a moment or was it longer than that?
Music/soundtracks for movies are an odd entity aren't they? The music is a necessary part of the movie experience & is only a small miniscule part of the whole movie industry pie & that part of the pie is there for a moment then tossed & most likely unnoticed. I guess as a creator of anything, you learn how to pour yourself into your art in the present & then let it go unto history for those who partake in it from then on, especially those who go into retro mode. Just look at Star Wars & John Williams & all the orchestra members & all that was created for those movies but just it all just hides behind the story lines, action, & effects.
Very scary....Saw a sign in Watsonville for some small giggage of bands like Poison & Ratt. Talk about retro mid 80's. I wonder how many 80's-90's musicians decided to enter into rehab 'cause Eddie just finished his stay in it & came out of it looking much better? I remember a video clip from something about guitar in rock on VH1 thing & Dweezl Zappa said he molded his hair style & length to whatever it is Eddie did. I still remember the metal world being shocked & in disbelief that EVH cut his hair to break the big hair style & image of rock-dom. Hello...focus John...How did I get on this subject? I 'unno. Oh yeah retro things which is pertinent to the below.
So this is one of my favourite lead parts & it's just a few notes-the best leads usually are-with energy, power, & harmonic jammin....Can you name the song? Can you name the guitar player? If yes cool...If no, read on...
http://www.pplministries.org/jam.mp3
- All things of the above belong to somebody's copyright & trademarks.
If you couldn't guess the song yet then, can you name it from this full lead part? I'm sure the ending of the lead gives it away. But perhaps not. It is one of my fav leads...
http://www.pplministries.org/jamfullsolo.mp3
- All things of the above belong to somebody's copyright & trademarks.
Answer cannot be disclosed until later from now.
I wish I had the teacher, I had in mid 90's that showed me I could write songs & record & such, when I was in my teens taking lessons from the nearest Guitar Showcase schmoe in town. I've always been a purist in that I want to get every note & nuance as the original. He just wasn't able to be that for the hard rockin' tunes & leads I wanted to emulate. I wanted to play the above referenced lead, but he just wasn't able to do/be that. Welp now I know better & I realized whilst listening to the above referenced song that started this rambling & wandering blog that I need to venture unto finding someone who does know or can learn the parts & then help me to a) play them as such & b) to get the guitars & equipment I already have to sound like it should or at least as I think I would like them to. I joked with a friend this AM, make me a great sounding amp that has a volume knob & a power button. Knobs & I do not get along well at all! It's almost worse than sibling rivalry between knobs & I.
Until later comes, turn it up to power to the music people
So that reminded of me of solos hidden in the popularity of movies in the industry & how the coolest riffs, music, & total outpouring of the musicians & their talents, etc. just hide. I still have yet to hear in full the song EVH & Alex Van Halen did for the movie Twister which got nominated for a Grammy. I'll have to do the EBay thing to get the sound track's CD I guess. So where I am rambling in all this? I dunno I forgot....uhm...oh yeah...lost or never heard or hidden solos. Sorry, I must have gotten lost for a moment or was it longer than that?
Music/soundtracks for movies are an odd entity aren't they? The music is a necessary part of the movie experience & is only a small miniscule part of the whole movie industry pie & that part of the pie is there for a moment then tossed & most likely unnoticed. I guess as a creator of anything, you learn how to pour yourself into your art in the present & then let it go unto history for those who partake in it from then on, especially those who go into retro mode. Just look at Star Wars & John Williams & all the orchestra members & all that was created for those movies but just it all just hides behind the story lines, action, & effects.
Very scary....Saw a sign in Watsonville for some small giggage of bands like Poison & Ratt. Talk about retro mid 80's. I wonder how many 80's-90's musicians decided to enter into rehab 'cause Eddie just finished his stay in it & came out of it looking much better? I remember a video clip from something about guitar in rock on VH1 thing & Dweezl Zappa said he molded his hair style & length to whatever it is Eddie did. I still remember the metal world being shocked & in disbelief that EVH cut his hair to break the big hair style & image of rock-dom. Hello...focus John...How did I get on this subject? I 'unno. Oh yeah retro things which is pertinent to the below.
So this is one of my favourite lead parts & it's just a few notes-the best leads usually are-with energy, power, & harmonic jammin....Can you name the song? Can you name the guitar player? If yes cool...If no, read on...
http://www.pplministries.org/jam.mp3
- All things of the above belong to somebody's copyright & trademarks.
If you couldn't guess the song yet then, can you name it from this full lead part? I'm sure the ending of the lead gives it away. But perhaps not. It is one of my fav leads...
http://www.pplministries.org/jamfullsolo.mp3
- All things of the above belong to somebody's copyright & trademarks.
Answer cannot be disclosed until later from now.
I wish I had the teacher, I had in mid 90's that showed me I could write songs & record & such, when I was in my teens taking lessons from the nearest Guitar Showcase schmoe in town. I've always been a purist in that I want to get every note & nuance as the original. He just wasn't able to be that for the hard rockin' tunes & leads I wanted to emulate. I wanted to play the above referenced lead, but he just wasn't able to do/be that. Welp now I know better & I realized whilst listening to the above referenced song that started this rambling & wandering blog that I need to venture unto finding someone who does know or can learn the parts & then help me to a) play them as such & b) to get the guitars & equipment I already have to sound like it should or at least as I think I would like them to. I joked with a friend this AM, make me a great sounding amp that has a volume knob & a power button. Knobs & I do not get along well at all! It's almost worse than sibling rivalry between knobs & I.
Until later comes, turn it up to power to the music people
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Service, schmirvice...pleah...
Long ago when I was at SJSU-dang that was a long time ago-I worked in the electronics/computer dept. of the Spartan Bookstore. One day out of the blue the dept. manager decided that the male employees in that dept. needed to wear ties & the thinking was that selling Mac's to students & teachers was like selling cars to someone. They wasn't cheap & customers were making a huge investment. So the sales persons should look appropriate for such a sales environment. Why do I mention this? Because good service is just not very dominant these days. Restaurant service & food quality is not so great more often than not. Terra went in to a store to get a very specific shampoo product to make sure cat Emmitt doesn't get any fleas as the temps warm up. The person helping her just basically gruffed at her & said something like "It would be over there" and just pointed. I've emailed two different guitar body/neck makers to inquire about some specifics of what they offer as well as seeking some suggestions. Not one reply. And so now I take you to the journey of this week...
So I get a newsletter email about a particular item & the provider mentions ordering by May 1, by midnight. Yeah, it is a marketting ploy to get people to buy now rather than later. They are mostly a net of inter seller & therefore want & probably expect most people to pay via PayPal. I Try to call on May 1 & no answer. No replies to emails I sent. That is very confusing...You want customers to hurry & buy your something so you can get it out of your warehouse, but you're not available by phone or email for customers on the day you advertised as the "Come & get it day." So I create an email stating what I want, the billing & shipping addresses & such, with a request to call so as to give the payment information. The reply I get the next day, yesterday was, "Call us after 9:30 am EST." Hmmm, so I have to try & chase you down in order to buy the item I'm interested in that you want people to buy sooner than later. So I try to call & email on May 2. Nobody avaiable by phone or email again. Boy they really must want to sell stuff to people. They didn't even return a voice message I left yesterday. So I constructed, basically a resend with some ranting included, of what I sent the previous day. Reply I got this morning was "We're in the warehouse packing things all this week. Call back & blah blah blah or use PayPal, etc. HELLO, Not everyone wants to use the all powerful PayPal system or has a PayPal account to use for every purchase in their lives. Yes I do have a PPal account but for this one matter I didn't want to use it for private reasons. I can understand possible treatment for a cheap item. But for something that's not as cheap you'd think the seller would do whatever they could to make things easier for the buyer. The net of inter has made things very strange. Computers & e-commerce systems have become the sales people. Or should I say Big Brother is becomming more prominent, only about 23+ years later than the book.
I've made it a point, & not just for tax write off guitar painting biz reasons, that when I go into a Starbucks or whatever, that when they ask for my name to write on the cup or what have you, I say something like "But now you have to tell me your name." They usually tell me & laff & probably find it odd that someone would do that. I then s'plain something about how people are becomming more & more disconnected. Then I show my biz card really quick & happily write the person's name on the receipt so I can write off the food stuffs & miles. This reminds me of the story circulated many a time about a nursing teacher querying her students in class to see if they even knew the name of the lady, the students saw day after day, who cleans the floors & such in the hallway just outside of the classroom door. Not one of them knew the lady's name. The teacher's point was that ya gotta connect well with people & get to know them if you're going to be their nurse in their health needs.
I guess it becomes if you want to do something or know something specific, about what is offered, it's probably easier, faster, & better to just pick up the phone & call as emails & electronic blah-de-blahs can so easily fall into the ether of their realms & go unanswered. But I wonder how many customers go elsewhere because some bizness didn't reply to the customer's email or electronic communication in a timely manner. My motto, if you don't want to or cannot reply to someone's electronic inquiry, don't provide an email address or way for customers to communicate with you that way.
Until later comes, turn it up to people & the internet are strange.
So I get a newsletter email about a particular item & the provider mentions ordering by May 1, by midnight. Yeah, it is a marketting ploy to get people to buy now rather than later. They are mostly a net of inter seller & therefore want & probably expect most people to pay via PayPal. I Try to call on May 1 & no answer. No replies to emails I sent. That is very confusing...You want customers to hurry & buy your something so you can get it out of your warehouse, but you're not available by phone or email for customers on the day you advertised as the "Come & get it day." So I create an email stating what I want, the billing & shipping addresses & such, with a request to call so as to give the payment information. The reply I get the next day, yesterday was, "Call us after 9:30 am EST." Hmmm, so I have to try & chase you down in order to buy the item I'm interested in that you want people to buy sooner than later. So I try to call & email on May 2. Nobody avaiable by phone or email again. Boy they really must want to sell stuff to people. They didn't even return a voice message I left yesterday. So I constructed, basically a resend with some ranting included, of what I sent the previous day. Reply I got this morning was "We're in the warehouse packing things all this week. Call back & blah blah blah or use PayPal, etc. HELLO, Not everyone wants to use the all powerful PayPal system or has a PayPal account to use for every purchase in their lives. Yes I do have a PPal account but for this one matter I didn't want to use it for private reasons. I can understand possible treatment for a cheap item. But for something that's not as cheap you'd think the seller would do whatever they could to make things easier for the buyer. The net of inter has made things very strange. Computers & e-commerce systems have become the sales people. Or should I say Big Brother is becomming more prominent, only about 23+ years later than the book.
I've made it a point, & not just for tax write off guitar painting biz reasons, that when I go into a Starbucks or whatever, that when they ask for my name to write on the cup or what have you, I say something like "But now you have to tell me your name." They usually tell me & laff & probably find it odd that someone would do that. I then s'plain something about how people are becomming more & more disconnected. Then I show my biz card really quick & happily write the person's name on the receipt so I can write off the food stuffs & miles. This reminds me of the story circulated many a time about a nursing teacher querying her students in class to see if they even knew the name of the lady, the students saw day after day, who cleans the floors & such in the hallway just outside of the classroom door. Not one of them knew the lady's name. The teacher's point was that ya gotta connect well with people & get to know them if you're going to be their nurse in their health needs.
I guess it becomes if you want to do something or know something specific, about what is offered, it's probably easier, faster, & better to just pick up the phone & call as emails & electronic blah-de-blahs can so easily fall into the ether of their realms & go unanswered. But I wonder how many customers go elsewhere because some bizness didn't reply to the customer's email or electronic communication in a timely manner. My motto, if you don't want to or cannot reply to someone's electronic inquiry, don't provide an email address or way for customers to communicate with you that way.
Until later comes, turn it up to people & the internet are strange.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Growing pains...
So I literally have perhaps .5 to an hour to tweak or do things on weekdays on guitar painting things. The things I was struggling through a few to several weeks ago were a sure beacon of oops, & back up & try again. But at the time I probably wouldn't have known how to do so. I was trying to take what was & make look better. But no matter how I tried I seemed to only make little to negative progress, ie the 2 steps forward 3 steps back kind of thing. I reached my end. It's probably no different than someone drafting a story, book, or essay & deciding to scrap it all & do it right. I've found myself doing that with operating systems during dev or QA things as well & either reinstalling the OS from scratch, using Ghost to get OS back to known good state, and now using the simplicity of VMWare for things. I reach a state & say enuff of this, I'm starting it over to get back to a known good stable state.
Thursday night I reached my end with the things I've been trying to make look well on the back of Fender. But the things I was trying to correct stemmed from way way back in the process of using cruddy masking tape & poor bleed through corrections. I wouldn't have sold or given the thing to a flea let alone keep it for self & play it. So on this day, the stripes exist fairly well for the most part on front but are covered with blue tape & some paper. I quickly sanded down the back & the body now sits with, I think, 4 coats of primer as a base & 4 coats of white. No regrets in choosing to redo the back now that I know better what I'm doing. So by tonight I should have enough coats of white on the side stripes to clean them up & make sure that there's a good even flow from the sides to the back. Then I'll have to wait 4 days before taping & then doing red. Three days is the suggested time to wait but my unfun has been that the side stripe paint peels really easy when trying to remove the tape & the peeling really ticks me off. Again, knowing that it will look way better was worth the backing up. Job satisfaction is needed from the creator even though the area being redone is the back.
I'm not sure I'm going to pour much oomph into putting things on the backs of guitars. Not many will see the backs when guitar is just hanging around or being played. Streamline the creative processes is my thoughts regarding the backs. But any time I do a 5150 design for my own fun or for whatever reason in the future, I'll put the back stripes on just because EVH was there.
Until later comes, I continue to vent out the steam of the growing pains.
Thursday night I reached my end with the things I've been trying to make look well on the back of Fender. But the things I was trying to correct stemmed from way way back in the process of using cruddy masking tape & poor bleed through corrections. I wouldn't have sold or given the thing to a flea let alone keep it for self & play it. So on this day, the stripes exist fairly well for the most part on front but are covered with blue tape & some paper. I quickly sanded down the back & the body now sits with, I think, 4 coats of primer as a base & 4 coats of white. No regrets in choosing to redo the back now that I know better what I'm doing. So by tonight I should have enough coats of white on the side stripes to clean them up & make sure that there's a good even flow from the sides to the back. Then I'll have to wait 4 days before taping & then doing red. Three days is the suggested time to wait but my unfun has been that the side stripe paint peels really easy when trying to remove the tape & the peeling really ticks me off. Again, knowing that it will look way better was worth the backing up. Job satisfaction is needed from the creator even though the area being redone is the back.
I'm not sure I'm going to pour much oomph into putting things on the backs of guitars. Not many will see the backs when guitar is just hanging around or being played. Streamline the creative processes is my thoughts regarding the backs. But any time I do a 5150 design for my own fun or for whatever reason in the future, I'll put the back stripes on just because EVH was there.
Until later comes, I continue to vent out the steam of the growing pains.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
A letter from the stripes
So 1) be sure to read Well Done ramble below this one.
Dear John,
I am your Fender stripe-i-fied guitar. I did look great as I was & then you came along & just stripped me down to bare nothing. I knew not why you were doing that. What did I ever do to deserve such treatment? I've looked good in my blue all these years. I've sounded well. I stayed in tune for you. I stood by silently watching you play your other guitars wondering why you wouldn't play me too.
I've had to endure the coats of sealer & more sanding. Boy that was sure a lot of fun. Really appreciated that. Thanks a lot...sheez. I've never felt so embarassed when you just hung me out in the open air all exposed like that & with you taking pictures of me. What are you some kind of perverted freak? Oh I know it's guitars gone wild isn't it? Well I'll strike the pose for you buddy. You like that? How about this? Lemme show you my killer backside cause baby I got back!
I was relieved to be coated with primer & white. But I lost my identity in that I had no idea what you were going to do with me. Why couldn't you just let me stay as I was in my great blue? Then you stuck all that sticky stuff all over me. I wondered what the heck are you trying to do to me? Let me tape you bucko so you can see how it feels. So I'm there in my white underwear with tape all over me. Great! What am I a model for underwear & tape or something.
Next thing I know I'm being covered with red spooge. Great now I have red spots all over me. Can I just be blue again please?! Leave me alone already! So once again I hang there in my taped up underwear looking like I have the measles or something. And then more red spooge comes at me. Did I ever tell you all these things you've put on my really stink & smell. I bet you I'll be damaged in some way for having to sniff all this stuff. When this is all over I'm calling my lawyer. I never consented to this. Why am I...uh....white...wait a minute, now I'm red all over. What the? You actually clothed me in red. Cool. But...hmmm....I still have all this tape all over me from your freakazoidal photo shoot & strange fantasies of guitars in bondage gone wild. Well at least I'm covered up now. How nice of you to care so much that after days of just hanging out & around you decide to cover me up. Thanks for thinking of me. Don't let me swinging about in the breeze hit you on the way back in. I hope this hook you have me stuck to breaks & I fall on your head & I knock you out or at least bring you to your senses. You must dislike me immensely or something to do this to me. Why don't you just smash me up instead? Get me down from here!
Hey! Ouch! What are you doing! That hurts. Oh, great, now you think of taking the tape off. What took you so long to realize that it was on there? Well I sure hope you get the tape off of me quick & I hope you get all tangled up in it. Ha! That would be a laff. Dang that hurts though. Ouch! Can't you be more gentle? What'd you have to put the tape on in the first place? It burns! It burns! Get it off me now! Owwwwwwwwwwwwwww! (time passes)
Finally! Man, lemme put that tape on your hairy arms & then yank hard & see how good that feels to you. Oh great, you're just going to leave me hanging here with my unfinished red and whaaaaat!? Stripes? What the? How'd that... Hey wait a minute, I'm red with crazy white stripes! Check me out world! Take that you dumb Ibanez that gets played more than me. I'm stripe-i-fied & look at you just sitting there in your plain dull Jewel blue. Man, this suit makes me look good. Hey! Ouch! That really hurts! Oh, so now you're going to cut me up with that blade huh. What kind of sicko freak are you anyway? You make me look cool & then you start scraping me up. What gives? Can I have some anesthesia please? Or at least a couple of shots of Jack Daniels. I'm bleeding, I'm bleeding! Someone call 9-1-1! Oh wait, it's dried stuff. Heh, heh, I guess I bled already. Oh so now you think you're this great doctor & surgeon & you're going to just fix up all these red marks. You just watch it bucko! You so much as poke me with that thing I'll....OUCH! Dang-narn-it! That hurts! Be careful. You don't know what you're doing do you? Let me take that dry sharp blade to your stuble on yer face & see how that goes for you. (More time passes)
Well gee thanks for that acupuncture torture that I never wanted or asked for. I bet you've really messed me up now. See that stripe there...huh? Where'd that dry red stuff go? I'm still red. I still have white stripes. And I look better than before the acupuncture carnage. Whoa dude, thaz kinda cool. But you need to cool it with that blade thing. Am I done yet? Can I please be done now? Can you just put me back together now? Wait, let me guess, there's more. Why else would I just be hanging around still?
Oh joy, more sticky tape. Aren't I good enough for you? Haven't I had enough. You always want more from me. You always want me to be someone I'm not able to be. I'm red & white. That's who I am now. At least I know that much. I at least have some dignity left. What the? Hack hack cough cough choke choke. What gives now! Now your spooging me with black. You need to figure yourself out ma'an. First I'm naked. Then I'm in my white underwear. Then I'm red & white. Now you want me to be black. Make up your crazy mind you fool. I don't know who or what you want me to be. Stop! Enough! Aren't I good enough for you the way I am? Why are you always trying to change me? Why don't you change yourself first? Spray yourself with paint & leave me be.
Blast ye my new found foe. Why dost though yank upon the tape upon my being yet again by taking off that tape. First I'm in bondage. Then I'm not. Then I am again. Now I'm not again. Can't you make up your mind? You know I'm just going to end up with bruises from such rough treatment. This is abuse! You need some serious help bud. See I'm black and blu....black stripes? I'm still red with white stripes & now black stripes. Whoa did you see that Ibanez? Ha! Beat that! You know, it's better to look good than to feel good. Dude! I be looking crazy insane. Now am I done? Please tell me I'm done. Dude? Dooood! Where'd ya go! Come on, don't just leave me hanging here! Yo! Freakinator! I've given you all that I can. What more do you want from me?! Oh the humanity! You dress me up & then you leave me high & dry. Yo barkeeper? Martini, shaken not stirred! Someone! Anyone! Bueller? Bueller? Anyone! HELP ME! I'm hungry! Can anyone give me some burned up brown burgers that were burnt all over town?
- Stripey
(And the story pauses there. What will happen next? Why is stripey still hanging there? Will there be more tape? Will there be more scraping with the blade? Will the striped crazy one get free? Will someone come to help him. Stay tuned to this same stripey channel at the same stripey time in the nearly insane future.)
Author's note:
And now for something completely different. Any similarities between this story and any persons, entities, or groups, is entirely coincidental. No animals were hurt during this writing. Do not try any of the stunts portrayed in this journey as they are performed by specially trained crazy incompetent fools who don't know what they are doing. This story is based upon actual events in the life of a Fender guitar but some events were modified at the author's creative discrection. The guitar was not harmed in the writing of this story. The guitar still needs some minor touch ups due to many factors beyond the painter's control, peeling paint under tape here & there & gravity being a couple of those factors. The guitar apparently made an attempt to get away from it's hanging place last night in the dark but instead just fell to the carpet & received a couple of minor fixable dents from obstructions during the brief travel. The incident was investigated & it was determined that darkness combined with a female person stepping the wrong way in the dark caused a disturbance in gravity thereby causing the guitar to have a short trip during the fall. The aforementioned female was not injured. The guitar threatened to sue the author for hanging him so carelessly on a top heavy clothing drying apparatus but negotiations between guitar & author created a simple repair plan. The guitar deemed that it was in his best interest to be completed instead of getting tied up for months in legal processes. Guitar does demand being completed as soon as possible however with no more mistakes during the touch up processes that have held up progress. Author was placed under surveillance two nights ago after threatening to give up & burn guitar due to guitar maliciously & purposely shedding paint in various locations. Author has since learned to go slowly & be more calm & is learning to make peace with the ensuing issues. Guitar is not available for comment. Please direct all inquiries to the crazy insane author who doesn't know what he's doing at times & writes very long rambles.
Until later comes, turn it up to Get On With It
Dear John,
I am your Fender stripe-i-fied guitar. I did look great as I was & then you came along & just stripped me down to bare nothing. I knew not why you were doing that. What did I ever do to deserve such treatment? I've looked good in my blue all these years. I've sounded well. I stayed in tune for you. I stood by silently watching you play your other guitars wondering why you wouldn't play me too.
I've had to endure the coats of sealer & more sanding. Boy that was sure a lot of fun. Really appreciated that. Thanks a lot...sheez. I've never felt so embarassed when you just hung me out in the open air all exposed like that & with you taking pictures of me. What are you some kind of perverted freak? Oh I know it's guitars gone wild isn't it? Well I'll strike the pose for you buddy. You like that? How about this? Lemme show you my killer backside cause baby I got back!
I was relieved to be coated with primer & white. But I lost my identity in that I had no idea what you were going to do with me. Why couldn't you just let me stay as I was in my great blue? Then you stuck all that sticky stuff all over me. I wondered what the heck are you trying to do to me? Let me tape you bucko so you can see how it feels. So I'm there in my white underwear with tape all over me. Great! What am I a model for underwear & tape or something.
Next thing I know I'm being covered with red spooge. Great now I have red spots all over me. Can I just be blue again please?! Leave me alone already! So once again I hang there in my taped up underwear looking like I have the measles or something. And then more red spooge comes at me. Did I ever tell you all these things you've put on my really stink & smell. I bet you I'll be damaged in some way for having to sniff all this stuff. When this is all over I'm calling my lawyer. I never consented to this. Why am I...uh....white...wait a minute, now I'm red all over. What the? You actually clothed me in red. Cool. But...hmmm....I still have all this tape all over me from your freakazoidal photo shoot & strange fantasies of guitars in bondage gone wild. Well at least I'm covered up now. How nice of you to care so much that after days of just hanging out & around you decide to cover me up. Thanks for thinking of me. Don't let me swinging about in the breeze hit you on the way back in. I hope this hook you have me stuck to breaks & I fall on your head & I knock you out or at least bring you to your senses. You must dislike me immensely or something to do this to me. Why don't you just smash me up instead? Get me down from here!
Hey! Ouch! What are you doing! That hurts. Oh, great, now you think of taking the tape off. What took you so long to realize that it was on there? Well I sure hope you get the tape off of me quick & I hope you get all tangled up in it. Ha! That would be a laff. Dang that hurts though. Ouch! Can't you be more gentle? What'd you have to put the tape on in the first place? It burns! It burns! Get it off me now! Owwwwwwwwwwwwwww! (time passes)
Finally! Man, lemme put that tape on your hairy arms & then yank hard & see how good that feels to you. Oh great, you're just going to leave me hanging here with my unfinished red and whaaaaat!? Stripes? What the? How'd that... Hey wait a minute, I'm red with crazy white stripes! Check me out world! Take that you dumb Ibanez that gets played more than me. I'm stripe-i-fied & look at you just sitting there in your plain dull Jewel blue. Man, this suit makes me look good. Hey! Ouch! That really hurts! Oh, so now you're going to cut me up with that blade huh. What kind of sicko freak are you anyway? You make me look cool & then you start scraping me up. What gives? Can I have some anesthesia please? Or at least a couple of shots of Jack Daniels. I'm bleeding, I'm bleeding! Someone call 9-1-1! Oh wait, it's dried stuff. Heh, heh, I guess I bled already. Oh so now you think you're this great doctor & surgeon & you're going to just fix up all these red marks. You just watch it bucko! You so much as poke me with that thing I'll....OUCH! Dang-narn-it! That hurts! Be careful. You don't know what you're doing do you? Let me take that dry sharp blade to your stuble on yer face & see how that goes for you. (More time passes)
Well gee thanks for that acupuncture torture that I never wanted or asked for. I bet you've really messed me up now. See that stripe there...huh? Where'd that dry red stuff go? I'm still red. I still have white stripes. And I look better than before the acupuncture carnage. Whoa dude, thaz kinda cool. But you need to cool it with that blade thing. Am I done yet? Can I please be done now? Can you just put me back together now? Wait, let me guess, there's more. Why else would I just be hanging around still?
Oh joy, more sticky tape. Aren't I good enough for you? Haven't I had enough. You always want more from me. You always want me to be someone I'm not able to be. I'm red & white. That's who I am now. At least I know that much. I at least have some dignity left. What the? Hack hack cough cough choke choke. What gives now! Now your spooging me with black. You need to figure yourself out ma'an. First I'm naked. Then I'm in my white underwear. Then I'm red & white. Now you want me to be black. Make up your crazy mind you fool. I don't know who or what you want me to be. Stop! Enough! Aren't I good enough for you the way I am? Why are you always trying to change me? Why don't you change yourself first? Spray yourself with paint & leave me be.
Blast ye my new found foe. Why dost though yank upon the tape upon my being yet again by taking off that tape. First I'm in bondage. Then I'm not. Then I am again. Now I'm not again. Can't you make up your mind? You know I'm just going to end up with bruises from such rough treatment. This is abuse! You need some serious help bud. See I'm black and blu....black stripes? I'm still red with white stripes & now black stripes. Whoa did you see that Ibanez? Ha! Beat that! You know, it's better to look good than to feel good. Dude! I be looking crazy insane. Now am I done? Please tell me I'm done. Dude? Dooood! Where'd ya go! Come on, don't just leave me hanging here! Yo! Freakinator! I've given you all that I can. What more do you want from me?! Oh the humanity! You dress me up & then you leave me high & dry. Yo barkeeper? Martini, shaken not stirred! Someone! Anyone! Bueller? Bueller? Anyone! HELP ME! I'm hungry! Can anyone give me some burned up brown burgers that were burnt all over town?
- Stripey
(And the story pauses there. What will happen next? Why is stripey still hanging there? Will there be more tape? Will there be more scraping with the blade? Will the striped crazy one get free? Will someone come to help him. Stay tuned to this same stripey channel at the same stripey time in the nearly insane future.)
Author's note:
And now for something completely different. Any similarities between this story and any persons, entities, or groups, is entirely coincidental. No animals were hurt during this writing. Do not try any of the stunts portrayed in this journey as they are performed by specially trained crazy incompetent fools who don't know what they are doing. This story is based upon actual events in the life of a Fender guitar but some events were modified at the author's creative discrection. The guitar was not harmed in the writing of this story. The guitar still needs some minor touch ups due to many factors beyond the painter's control, peeling paint under tape here & there & gravity being a couple of those factors. The guitar apparently made an attempt to get away from it's hanging place last night in the dark but instead just fell to the carpet & received a couple of minor fixable dents from obstructions during the brief travel. The incident was investigated & it was determined that darkness combined with a female person stepping the wrong way in the dark caused a disturbance in gravity thereby causing the guitar to have a short trip during the fall. The aforementioned female was not injured. The guitar threatened to sue the author for hanging him so carelessly on a top heavy clothing drying apparatus but negotiations between guitar & author created a simple repair plan. The guitar deemed that it was in his best interest to be completed instead of getting tied up for months in legal processes. Guitar does demand being completed as soon as possible however with no more mistakes during the touch up processes that have held up progress. Author was placed under surveillance two nights ago after threatening to give up & burn guitar due to guitar maliciously & purposely shedding paint in various locations. Author has since learned to go slowly & be more calm & is learning to make peace with the ensuing issues. Guitar is not available for comment. Please direct all inquiries to the crazy insane author who doesn't know what he's doing at times & writes very long rambles.
Until later comes, turn it up to Get On With It
Monday, April 23, 2007
Well Done Eddie
Not much to say other than this bit of long rambles...
http://www.pplministries.org/WellDoneEddie.htm
Until later comes turn it up to eat some lunch.
http://www.pplministries.org/WellDoneEddie.htm
Until later comes turn it up to eat some lunch.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
A 2nd email to person @ ELVH Inc. I still laugh.
I am writing to offer an unsolicited suggestion that stems from the confusion that many write about in forums & such about the evh stripe designs. Perhaps you are already aware of the confusions that exist.
If ELVH Inc. is out to protect the stripe designs, it seems to make simple sense to have a website that describes simply & clearly in very easy to understand language about the copyrights & trademarks & what constitutes infringement. There are many a confused person throughout the world in regards to the infamous stripes. Some have written that they've turned their backs on EVH because of auctions being pulled, rightly so of course. There are many people who are angry with Edward in regards to stripes on guitars & alienation is occurring. If the aforementioned website was easily found by search engines, more people would be educated more quickly. And it seems that would reduce the workload upon those at ELVH Inc. I did many a search on the net & found nothing about Frankie 1 & 2. I did learn quickly about the 5150 design being trademarked however but not from searching the net.
I've found many a picture & many videos on YouTube that would most likely be considered infringement upon all things Van Halen. And none of what I found have any notice of copyright with them.
The web has created a huge, if not impossible, challenge for those seeking to protect their intellectual/artistic property.
The reality is people are going to set out to paint evh stripes on their own guitars. There's nothing that is going to stop that throughout the world. The stripes in of themselves are a legend & people want to have them. I know I won't do so, but many who paint guitars will set out to paint the stripes for profit in secret. Many will try to find loopholes to do so. Why? Solely because they cannot afford what is offered via manufacturers. It's hard to understand how any entity who paints guitars for $250 to $400 for profit is infringing upon the Fender $25+ thousand dollar market or the $2k+ Charvel artist series market. People seeking such paint jobs cannot afford more than $400-$600 for a guitar.
But unlike many, if not hundreds, I do & will respect the copyrights & trademarks in place.
Until later comes, turn it up to let freedom jam.
If ELVH Inc. is out to protect the stripe designs, it seems to make simple sense to have a website that describes simply & clearly in very easy to understand language about the copyrights & trademarks & what constitutes infringement. There are many a confused person throughout the world in regards to the infamous stripes. Some have written that they've turned their backs on EVH because of auctions being pulled, rightly so of course. There are many people who are angry with Edward in regards to stripes on guitars & alienation is occurring. If the aforementioned website was easily found by search engines, more people would be educated more quickly. And it seems that would reduce the workload upon those at ELVH Inc. I did many a search on the net & found nothing about Frankie 1 & 2. I did learn quickly about the 5150 design being trademarked however but not from searching the net.
I've found many a picture & many videos on YouTube that would most likely be considered infringement upon all things Van Halen. And none of what I found have any notice of copyright with them.
The web has created a huge, if not impossible, challenge for those seeking to protect their intellectual/artistic property.
The reality is people are going to set out to paint evh stripes on their own guitars. There's nothing that is going to stop that throughout the world. The stripes in of themselves are a legend & people want to have them. I know I won't do so, but many who paint guitars will set out to paint the stripes for profit in secret. Many will try to find loopholes to do so. Why? Solely because they cannot afford what is offered via manufacturers. It's hard to understand how any entity who paints guitars for $250 to $400 for profit is infringing upon the Fender $25+ thousand dollar market or the $2k+ Charvel artist series market. People seeking such paint jobs cannot afford more than $400-$600 for a guitar.
But unlike many, if not hundreds, I do & will respect the copyrights & trademarks in place.
Until later comes, turn it up to let freedom jam.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Big Brother found me...I have to laugh
I have to laugh at both myself & ELVH Inc. Big Brother found me, aka ELVH inc. Someone from there wrote me an email & I quote:
"I am writing to you from the Van Halen office. It has come to our attention that you are offering your services to paint in the EVH designs onto unlicensed VH guitars.
Please be aware that the three artistic striped EVH designs are copywritten by ELVH, Inc.- Edward Van Halen.
The red, white and black design: (Copyright: Frankenstein design- VAu 505-308).
The white and black design: (Copyright: Original Frank design- VAu 558-125)
The yellow and black design: (Copyright: Franky design- VAu 544-060).
Please note that all three designs are copywritten by ELVH, Inc (Edward Van Halen), and that it needs to be noted that all three designs are owed by ELVH, Inc on your website.
Also, please know that making a profit off of these copyrights is a copyright infringement.
Your website has been forwarded to the Fender Music Corporation for review."
So I removed images of concern & updated webpages as such. Then wrote the person back & stated that I had done this & to forward the revised site to any entities as desired. I also stated that I have not painted the designs on anyone's guitars. And then I apologized if I had offended anyone's intellectual property. Then I sent the email & then I laughed. I couldn't & didn't resist stating that I respect the copyrights & trademarks but I do agree with one entity's statement:
"...there are still fans that want a guitar in the style of their guitar hero...and not too many fans want to, or can, for that matter, pay over $2k or for a guitar....the individual in question might consider rethinking their market strategy and provide an affordable graphic guitar that the "true" fans can afford, not just the collectors!"
Copyrights aside for a brief moment, no schmoe painting guitars for $250-$400 is infringing upon Fender's 25k market nor upon the 2k Charvel artist series things. So I laugh. I laugh at my feeble attempts to put said designs on my website. I laugh at E... Inc's efforts to protect the precious especially in that what is protected is not being used to advertise Halen other than the occasional guitar manufacturer's offerings. Heck the 1st is now almost, if not already, 30 years old. Let it go already. Sheez. I laugh because at the moment it's like "Van Who?" And I laugh because many have posted many copyrighted & trademarked things related to evh on the web.
Reinstating the copyrights now, I must bow & cower in secret to the powers/laws that be. And I put this on my status site as well:
"The following pictures show what has been created on my own personal guitar which will not be sold. Please note that the design I’ve painted on my own personal guitar is copywritten by ELVH, Inc (Edward Van Halen), I’m not the only person or entity in the world who has posted pictures of work they have done on their own personal guitars & wanted to share it with their friends & family. To those who might find this to be infringement upon intellectual property, I challenge you to provide a public offering of guitars of good quality that are in the $500-$800 price range. I do not know one regular simple person who could afford the Charvel artist series offerings nor the Fender offerings."
So I continue to just touch up me crazy #1 & not worry about Big Brother. Stripes is as stripes does I guess & they can only be duhzed by the one who created them in the 1st place.
Until later comes, turn it up to a good "oh well" laugh.
"I am writing to you from the Van Halen office. It has come to our attention that you are offering your services to paint in the EVH designs onto unlicensed VH guitars.
Please be aware that the three artistic striped EVH designs are copywritten by ELVH, Inc.- Edward Van Halen.
The red, white and black design: (Copyright: Frankenstein design- VAu 505-308).
The white and black design: (Copyright: Original Frank design- VAu 558-125)
The yellow and black design: (Copyright: Franky design- VAu 544-060).
Please note that all three designs are copywritten by ELVH, Inc (Edward Van Halen), and that it needs to be noted that all three designs are owed by ELVH, Inc on your website.
Also, please know that making a profit off of these copyrights is a copyright infringement.
Your website has been forwarded to the Fender Music Corporation for review."
So I removed images of concern & updated webpages as such. Then wrote the person back & stated that I had done this & to forward the revised site to any entities as desired. I also stated that I have not painted the designs on anyone's guitars. And then I apologized if I had offended anyone's intellectual property. Then I sent the email & then I laughed. I couldn't & didn't resist stating that I respect the copyrights & trademarks but I do agree with one entity's statement:
"...there are still fans that want a guitar in the style of their guitar hero...and not too many fans want to, or can, for that matter, pay over $2k or for a guitar....the individual in question might consider rethinking their market strategy and provide an affordable graphic guitar that the "true" fans can afford, not just the collectors!"
Copyrights aside for a brief moment, no schmoe painting guitars for $250-$400 is infringing upon Fender's 25k market nor upon the 2k Charvel artist series things. So I laugh. I laugh at my feeble attempts to put said designs on my website. I laugh at E... Inc's efforts to protect the precious especially in that what is protected is not being used to advertise Halen other than the occasional guitar manufacturer's offerings. Heck the 1st is now almost, if not already, 30 years old. Let it go already. Sheez. I laugh because at the moment it's like "Van Who?" And I laugh because many have posted many copyrighted & trademarked things related to evh on the web.
Reinstating the copyrights now, I must bow & cower in secret to the powers/laws that be. And I put this on my status site as well:
"The following pictures show what has been created on my own personal guitar which will not be sold. Please note that the design I’ve painted on my own personal guitar is copywritten by ELVH, Inc (Edward Van Halen), I’m not the only person or entity in the world who has posted pictures of work they have done on their own personal guitars & wanted to share it with their friends & family. To those who might find this to be infringement upon intellectual property, I challenge you to provide a public offering of guitars of good quality that are in the $500-$800 price range. I do not know one regular simple person who could afford the Charvel artist series offerings nor the Fender offerings."
So I continue to just touch up me crazy #1 & not worry about Big Brother. Stripes is as stripes does I guess & they can only be duhzed by the one who created them in the 1st place.
Until later comes, turn it up to a good "oh well" laugh.
Friday, March 30, 2007
S'tar & other yakking bits
So hit the SC harbor with yella thingy. Just headed out to the harbor lighthouse thing & decided to head into the incoming high tide & paddled, from start, 1.4 miles, to the end of the SC Wharf where there were a couple o' starfish hanging on pilings & a sea lion barking constantly at nothing in particular. Theyz just gotta lot to say I guess. Turned around & just let the tide drift me inward & back towards the harbor. Other than a few moments of paddling for course correction, I got a free ride back to harbor mouth. Then paddled up into the back end of the harbor towards where Frederick St. Park is. No otters this journey. It sure took my mind off of bleed throughs & stripes & the state of do over.
Until later comes, turn it up to drifting along with the tide.
Until later comes, turn it up to drifting along with the tide.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
DRM Ramble - Jobs made some good points
So many dinners ago brother Glop sent along a link to Steve Jobs writing about digital rights media, DRM. T'was interesting to read. I found it amusing that, according to Jobs, most music is still purchased on CDs which is totally unprotected content. Each consumer has the ability to post the unprotected content, illegally of course, on the web for others to steal. I also found it interesting that if the major music giants were to discontinue requiring DRM, that Jobs & Apple would happily embrace that paradigm shift & remove the DRM stuff that's in place. I just have to laugh at the comedic irony that many strides are taken to protect digital music but at the same time the companies that require the DRM to be in place make available the same music, in unprotected form, on CDs. And I've probably repeated myself somehow in this ramble but hey why not. But hey why not. Wait I just said that.
Anyway...until later comes turn it up to protected content that for the most part remains unprotected.
Anyway...until later comes turn it up to protected content that for the most part remains unprotected.
Monday, March 19, 2007
S'otters...aka saw the otters...
So I S'otters yesterday at the Elkhorn Slough. The night before I had a Caleb & a Noah wanting to go to the Slough with me. But come yesterday morning I get "Dad, I don't want to go." Sheez. Anyway...Went out about an hour before the predicted high tide. T'was easy to head out. There's a pack of otters that hang out about 1.5 miles from Moss Landing Harbor. I did observe something this week. When I was at the harbor last week there was the otter I called Flip. Flip was much more used to boat traffic & noises & such as Flip just laid there chopping on his/her food whilst I drifted nearby & watched. The otters at the Slough however are quite skiddish & if you so much as look at them they go hide under water not to be seen again for a long time. Till the wind picked up the Slough was smooth as glass.
Until later comes turning it up to drifting.
Until later comes turning it up to drifting.
Friday, March 16, 2007
iYak - 1st yakkage of spring...
So hit the harbor with the yella water craft last early evening. Paddled out .8 miles from launch spot. Harbor entrace light house is about .5 miles from launch spot. So went out .3 miles from the entrance. Saw two otter friends during the journey whom I will call Flip & Flap & they will be my squisshies? huh? Nemo reference. Flip was in the harbor. Flap was out past my .8 miles. Some boater comin in mentioned that the CA grey whales are out there headin' north. I didn't see any this time around. T'was nice to float about & be bounced around by the oceans lumps & bumps. Paddled back in & saw Flap on his/her back chopping on some delicacy found on the harbor bottom. Did a power paddle from launch ramp to Crow's Nest & back which is about .25 miles 1 way. So all in all paddled & floated 2.1 miles. Need to build some stamina so I can do a paddle from harbor to Capitola beach. The Harbor is nice to train in because you don't have to worry so much about high & low tides along with head winds like you do at the Elkhorn Slough.
Until later comes, turn it up to drifting.
Until later comes, turn it up to drifting.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Rock fame...
1) So watched the DVR recording of the rock hall of fame induction. Skipped through most of it. Watched the Van Halen part of it. And what I find amusing is that the two people that contributed very significantly to the band & who were cast away & no longer part of the 'drama' were the ones present for the induction. The others, exluding the obvious reasons for EVH, were where doing what? Who looked better to those watching on? They had every reason not to come but their presence there showed more courage & more maturity. And then they indicated that if a future tour opportunity for them to participate in came along they would just jump right in. Sammy mentioned "When we all grow up, myself included..." Perhaps Michael & Sammy have already done so.
2) I've noticed this in two different things. First is a show I recorded about how guitar & guitarists have influenced rock. Eddie was interviewed & he said that instead of pursuing the social life as a kid/teen, he'd just spend hours playing & learning. And then last night in one of the clips Eddie said something like "All I know how to do is play. I don't/can't talk to people very well." DING! LIGHT BULB! Why does he have any influence then on decisions made in the band then?
3) Why Velvet Revolver? I had to skip the song they did 'cause the singer was just plain strange wiggling around how he did. I did enjoy hearing Slash though. I wonder if the red stripe guitar the guy was playing was one of the Fender relics or the actual Frankie. Who knows.
2) I've noticed this in two different things. First is a show I recorded about how guitar & guitarists have influenced rock. Eddie was interviewed & he said that instead of pursuing the social life as a kid/teen, he'd just spend hours playing & learning. And then last night in one of the clips Eddie said something like "All I know how to do is play. I don't/can't talk to people very well." DING! LIGHT BULB! Why does he have any influence then on decisions made in the band then?
3) Why Velvet Revolver? I had to skip the song they did 'cause the singer was just plain strange wiggling around how he did. I did enjoy hearing Slash though. I wonder if the red stripe guitar the guy was playing was one of the Fender relics or the actual Frankie. Who knows.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Prose...Gifted Man...
Gifted Man
Written by John Brooks 3/5/2007. Copyright (c) John Brooks. All rights reserved.
A rambling about Edward Van Halen after hearing of the cancelled tour, one news article commenting on Eddie being a recluse like other stars of recent years, and of hearing about the 'delicate politics' in Van Halen that might lead to the absence of the Halens at the Rock Hall of Fame induction.
Other similar items of prose about him -> http://www.pplministries.org/DearEVH.htm
You rocked insanely hard as a younger lad
Now you wither away not able to regain what you had
Did your fame & stardom & even cancer drive you mad? (1)
Saw the YouTube clip of you playing Fender relic at NAMM
I see a clip of you now & I think eghads!
A talent & a legend, yes you bet; you are a very gifted man
But you just can't seem to hold together the infamous band
Why do I care so much for I shouldn't give much of a damn
Too me it seems simple, pick up guitar & find a jam
Let fingers do their thing upon the fretland
Rock till duhn with them gifted hands
And just do what ya love to do for the fans
Rock wherever & whenever because you can
But everything has to be a big show & full of image, acting, spotlights, glitz & glam
Why do you have to try to only hit a grand slam?
Perhaps it is better that you hide away instead of touring the lands
For you seem to be very unstable & it's hard to see & it is sad
You probably ought to just focus on writing & playing for yourself & being a dad
Rock on Edward whether it be on stage, or in yer 5150 launch pad
And if you don't then you'll just be remembered as the one who rocked hard with Frankenstrat
Written by John Brooks 3/5/2007. Copyright (c) John Brooks. All rights reserved.
A rambling about Edward Van Halen after hearing of the cancelled tour, one news article commenting on Eddie being a recluse like other stars of recent years, and of hearing about the 'delicate politics' in Van Halen that might lead to the absence of the Halens at the Rock Hall of Fame induction.
Other similar items of prose about him -> http://www.pplministries.org/DearEVH.htm
You rocked insanely hard as a younger lad
Now you wither away not able to regain what you had
Did your fame & stardom & even cancer drive you mad? (1)
Saw the YouTube clip of you playing Fender relic at NAMM
I see a clip of you now & I think eghads!
A talent & a legend, yes you bet; you are a very gifted man
But you just can't seem to hold together the infamous band
Why do I care so much for I shouldn't give much of a damn
Too me it seems simple, pick up guitar & find a jam
Let fingers do their thing upon the fretland
Rock till duhn with them gifted hands
And just do what ya love to do for the fans
Rock wherever & whenever because you can
But everything has to be a big show & full of image, acting, spotlights, glitz & glam
Why do you have to try to only hit a grand slam?
Perhaps it is better that you hide away instead of touring the lands
For you seem to be very unstable & it's hard to see & it is sad
You probably ought to just focus on writing & playing for yourself & being a dad
Rock on Edward whether it be on stage, or in yer 5150 launch pad
And if you don't then you'll just be remembered as the one who rocked hard with Frankenstrat
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Good giztarage paintage wiz-doh-uhm
So I emailed an inquiry to one of the paint dude's customers, Jim at www.strict9guitars.com who was interviewed on John's www.paintyourownguitar.com site. Mainly I inquired about his wisdom about the value that painting a guitar adds to a guitar's value so that I can offer something for our kids' school's annual auction next year. Had I started this venture about 3 months ago I would've gotten a Star Power Guitar painted for this year's auction on the 10th. Oh well. Better to have some experience & practice behind ya with backing photos & videos to help people see that this me did do it....Hopefully I will be able to "Do It My Way."
My 2nd reason for inquiring is possibly doing paint things for other people to make money on the side, but keeping it a hobby & fun, to help the cause of feeding the 3 bottomless pit boyzages as well as the even more hungrier fuel tanks on two cars with increasing fuel costs.
Anyway, I thought I'd share the wisdom from Jim as it's helpful.
"I'm painting a guitar for a raffle right now so I'm kinda in the same boat...
The value of a paintjob is very subjective. Basically it's worth whatever you can get somebody to pay for it, haha. That said, as a hobbyist (which I am) I can basically charge whatever I want for my labor above and beyond what it costs for supplies. Let's say the paintjob is gonna cost me around $80-$90 for paint/supplies, then maybe I want to change the color of the knobs or the pickguard so it looks a little cooler with the chosen finish, now I might have another $30-$50 into it, bringing me a cost of around $110-$140, so let's say it's gonna cost $125 to acheive the finish I'm looking for. Then you grab a StarPower project for about $250 and you're in it a grand total of $375
Then you gotta ask yourself "what could I sell it for, your market might be different in your area than in mine, but let's say you could get $600 for it. Would you be willing to paint the guitar for $225 and if so, then do it, and have fun, remember when you treat it like a job, it's not as fun as it was when it was a hobby! haha
As far as painting guitars for other people...
Do some internet searches as well, there are places that'll actually show you right on their website how much they'd charge you for a single color finish on a strat. They have a bit of a reputation and can crank 'em out faster than you and I can, so they might get a few bucks more for their version, but it'll get you started.
And of course theres what usually happens to me, and that is "man, that's gonna be a cool finish, I'd REALLY like to do it", so I go a little lower on my price just because I REALLY wanna do the finish. I'm working on a checkered Firebird right now, just for that reason.
When you finish yours you'll have an idea of how much time is involved, my first 4-5 guitars I actually kept track of how long it took me to do each step, so I'd be able to see how long each thing took seperately, and to be able to add up those little tasks to help me get an idea of how much to charge. It's not an exact science, but it'll get you close.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, have fun and just enjoy painting guitars. Enjoy setting them up, enjoy taking pictures of them, getting to play them before anybody else, the whole thing, otherwise it's kinda like a job and then the money just doesn't seem to add up. I mean let's face it, if you have a real job, your hourly overtime rate is going to be more than the amount of money you make an hour painting guitars, but if it's fun and you make a little who cares.
I never ship a guitar back without insuring it for the amount that it would cost me to replace it for the customer, and I always make them spring for the shipping, as a seperate cost from the paintjob. I also never send a guitar home without a case, even a cheap universal from Musicians Friend. I have folks sending me parts to build them a guitar then paint it, and I always tell them to send an extra $40-$50 and then I go grab them a case to send it home in. I thought you might find that useful.
Remember to tell them you are a hobbyist and that it might take a little while, otherwise they may try to hurry you, and don't be afraid to tell somebody "no". If you don't have time, or you're not sure if you can pull off the finish their looking for, whatever. If you do it anyway it can stress you out and it goes back to feeling like a job.
Have fun man, and send me some pictures, I always like to see what other people are doing, keeps the PYOG spirit alive!" - Jim
Until later comes turn it up to...Rock On! Yo....Duh....Mon.
My 2nd reason for inquiring is possibly doing paint things for other people to make money on the side, but keeping it a hobby & fun, to help the cause of feeding the 3 bottomless pit boyzages as well as the even more hungrier fuel tanks on two cars with increasing fuel costs.
Anyway, I thought I'd share the wisdom from Jim as it's helpful.
"I'm painting a guitar for a raffle right now so I'm kinda in the same boat...
The value of a paintjob is very subjective. Basically it's worth whatever you can get somebody to pay for it, haha. That said, as a hobbyist (which I am) I can basically charge whatever I want for my labor above and beyond what it costs for supplies. Let's say the paintjob is gonna cost me around $80-$90 for paint/supplies, then maybe I want to change the color of the knobs or the pickguard so it looks a little cooler with the chosen finish, now I might have another $30-$50 into it, bringing me a cost of around $110-$140, so let's say it's gonna cost $125 to acheive the finish I'm looking for. Then you grab a StarPower project for about $250 and you're in it a grand total of $375
Then you gotta ask yourself "what could I sell it for, your market might be different in your area than in mine, but let's say you could get $600 for it. Would you be willing to paint the guitar for $225 and if so, then do it, and have fun, remember when you treat it like a job, it's not as fun as it was when it was a hobby! haha
As far as painting guitars for other people...
Do some internet searches as well, there are places that'll actually show you right on their website how much they'd charge you for a single color finish on a strat. They have a bit of a reputation and can crank 'em out faster than you and I can, so they might get a few bucks more for their version, but it'll get you started.
And of course theres what usually happens to me, and that is "man, that's gonna be a cool finish, I'd REALLY like to do it", so I go a little lower on my price just because I REALLY wanna do the finish. I'm working on a checkered Firebird right now, just for that reason.
When you finish yours you'll have an idea of how much time is involved, my first 4-5 guitars I actually kept track of how long it took me to do each step, so I'd be able to see how long each thing took seperately, and to be able to add up those little tasks to help me get an idea of how much to charge. It's not an exact science, but it'll get you close.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, have fun and just enjoy painting guitars. Enjoy setting them up, enjoy taking pictures of them, getting to play them before anybody else, the whole thing, otherwise it's kinda like a job and then the money just doesn't seem to add up. I mean let's face it, if you have a real job, your hourly overtime rate is going to be more than the amount of money you make an hour painting guitars, but if it's fun and you make a little who cares.
I never ship a guitar back without insuring it for the amount that it would cost me to replace it for the customer, and I always make them spring for the shipping, as a seperate cost from the paintjob. I also never send a guitar home without a case, even a cheap universal from Musicians Friend. I have folks sending me parts to build them a guitar then paint it, and I always tell them to send an extra $40-$50 and then I go grab them a case to send it home in. I thought you might find that useful.
Remember to tell them you are a hobbyist and that it might take a little while, otherwise they may try to hurry you, and don't be afraid to tell somebody "no". If you don't have time, or you're not sure if you can pull off the finish their looking for, whatever. If you do it anyway it can stress you out and it goes back to feeling like a job.
Have fun man, and send me some pictures, I always like to see what other people are doing, keeps the PYOG spirit alive!" - Jim
Until later comes turn it up to...Rock On! Yo....Duh....Mon.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Project Stripey Strat - Link
Pics all in one place of fender sanding & painting project...
http://www.pplministries.org/FenderPainting.htm
http://www.pplministries.org/FenderPainting.htm
Monday, February 12, 2007
Ouch....oomph...thud....may I have another...
Step 1) Get a basketball
1.5) Get some shaved ice in a large bucket & get a companion to be with you.
2) Get some hooks you can screw into wood & run a rope through.
3) Get some rope.(1)
4) Get a flat piece of wood about 1/8 to 1/4 inches thick that's about 4 feet long & about 18-24 inches wide.
5) Stand on top of wood as you would on a skateboard.
6) Take a sharpey & outline your feet.
7) Attach a couple of hooks at the front & rear of each foot's contour line.
8) Grab your board & your basketball & don't forget yourself & go stand at the top of some stairs.
9) Run the rope through the hooks & around your feet so as to secure & bind your feet tightly to the board.
10) In one swift & perfect move, leap yourself up on top of the basketball & balance the board, & hence yourself as well, on top of the ball.
11) Now pivot yourself on top of ball so that the front foot is pointing down towards the bottom stair & such that most of your weight is on the forward foot.
12) Have your companion throw the shaved ice at you at random frequencies from various angles.
13) If you'd like you could skip the rope & hooks & just use a nail or staple gun to bind feet to board. But that involves blood & more pain. Your choice...
If you can do all this & not fall off of the ball or fall down the stairs....you can then attempt to snowboard.
When people say they spend most of the time on their rears whilst learning snowboarding...it's worse than that. It truly becomes "I've fallen, & I don't want to get up. Save yourselves & I'll just lay here crumbled up in a tired & exhausted & sore heap of I'm not 20 anymore." I think I did more push ups to stand up than all push ups done by the peons at a military boot camp in a year. And this was after taking a lesson & trying things out on the slope.
For me, I've spent my whole life with my feet existing separately & independantly from each other. To have both feet buckled down onto a board is quite foreign. Conceptually I could not get past that barrier. Boarders...have a great time....I'll stick to the simplicity of skiis. I've rediscovered muscles that I thought might have fallen off long ago......MEDIC!
Until later comes, turn it up to ouch.
1.5) Get some shaved ice in a large bucket & get a companion to be with you.
2) Get some hooks you can screw into wood & run a rope through.
3) Get some rope.(1)
4) Get a flat piece of wood about 1/8 to 1/4 inches thick that's about 4 feet long & about 18-24 inches wide.
5) Stand on top of wood as you would on a skateboard.
6) Take a sharpey & outline your feet.
7) Attach a couple of hooks at the front & rear of each foot's contour line.
8) Grab your board & your basketball & don't forget yourself & go stand at the top of some stairs.
9) Run the rope through the hooks & around your feet so as to secure & bind your feet tightly to the board.
10) In one swift & perfect move, leap yourself up on top of the basketball & balance the board, & hence yourself as well, on top of the ball.
11) Now pivot yourself on top of ball so that the front foot is pointing down towards the bottom stair & such that most of your weight is on the forward foot.
12) Have your companion throw the shaved ice at you at random frequencies from various angles.
13) If you'd like you could skip the rope & hooks & just use a nail or staple gun to bind feet to board. But that involves blood & more pain. Your choice...
If you can do all this & not fall off of the ball or fall down the stairs....you can then attempt to snowboard.
When people say they spend most of the time on their rears whilst learning snowboarding...it's worse than that. It truly becomes "I've fallen, & I don't want to get up. Save yourselves & I'll just lay here crumbled up in a tired & exhausted & sore heap of I'm not 20 anymore." I think I did more push ups to stand up than all push ups done by the peons at a military boot camp in a year. And this was after taking a lesson & trying things out on the slope.
For me, I've spent my whole life with my feet existing separately & independantly from each other. To have both feet buckled down onto a board is quite foreign. Conceptually I could not get past that barrier. Boarders...have a great time....I'll stick to the simplicity of skiis. I've rediscovered muscles that I thought might have fallen off long ago......MEDIC!
Until later comes, turn it up to ouch.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Stripey-zoidals...
So in looking more at these Mean Street guitars I came to learn that if you want one of the guitars with anything but the stock white, black, or natural finish one must pay an extra almost $400 & then wait is 4 months for the paint job. Ughage. So one ponders the buying of a natural finish model & then paint it stripey. Found a couple o' cool resources...But first a caveat is that apparently it has become illegal for others to sell books that teach about the process of cloning a trademarked design. Whatever world...I love this comment "(Artists - Watch Out If You're Showing People How To Draw Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny!)"
http://www.crazywebbys.com/~5150/index.htm
http://www.paintyourownguitar.com/offer.html
So me is tempted to buy the how to paint books for good solid foundation & then apply the painting journey to just a plain boring block o' wood. Once perfected, will then try on me solid blue Fender. If all is well then will consider the Mean Street purchase. Sounds fun & this actually seems more fun than building a tube amp kit.
Until later comes turn it up to paint.
http://www.crazywebbys.com/~5150/index.htm
http://www.paintyourownguitar.com/offer.html
So me is tempted to buy the how to paint books for good solid foundation & then apply the painting journey to just a plain boring block o' wood. Once perfected, will then try on me solid blue Fender. If all is well then will consider the Mean Street purchase. Sounds fun & this actually seems more fun than building a tube amp kit.
Until later comes turn it up to paint.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Stripey thing...hmmm...Might have to try...
So I've already rambled, & ranted, about the concept of signature series guitar & amp models. And the new Fender replica of EVH's Frakenstrat for a whopping $25,000 just makes you go...why? Only collectors will buy them & they'll just sit in display cases or hang on walls which is fine as art is art eh? So I started poking around to see if someone provides EVH looking kit guitars one could build for themselves or if someone sold a clone that looked cool & sounded decent but not necessarily how EVH sounds. Stumbled upon this one site that I find very interesting & intriguing...
First there is the products available...drool
http://www.meanstreetguitars.com/Mean%20Guitars.htm
Then there's stripey heaven...
http://www.meanstreetguitars.com/Mean_Street_Guitars_Unchained_5150_glossy_TC.jpg
Then there's the possibility of these...drool again...
http://www.meanstreetguitars.com/exile_guitars.htm
Then there's the interesting realm of building Exile for fun...If nothing else it's something the boys could kick around with.
http://www.axcessories.com/proddetail.asp?prod=ExileKit
Impressive collection:
http://www.meanstreetguitars.com/Jorges_guitars.jpg
But then I like the Stripey flame look...
http://www.meanstreetguitars.com/Mean_Street_Guitars_Evil_Rat_Jorge.jpg
Now a required exercise for the reader, that's you, is to pick a model & color scheme that you would go with & share your choice & why. The writer of this read, that's me, cannot help you make your choice. Assume that the testimonials are true & accurate & that the positive reviews on Harmony Central are true & accurate.
Till later comes...turn it up to affordable cool.
First there is the products available...drool
http://www.meanstreetguitars.com/Mean%20Guitars.htm
Then there's stripey heaven...
http://www.meanstreetguitars.com/Mean_Street_Guitars_Unchained_5150_glossy_TC.jpg
Then there's the possibility of these...drool again...
http://www.meanstreetguitars.com/exile_guitars.htm
Then there's the interesting realm of building Exile for fun...If nothing else it's something the boys could kick around with.
http://www.axcessories.com/proddetail.asp?prod=ExileKit
Impressive collection:
http://www.meanstreetguitars.com/Jorges_guitars.jpg
But then I like the Stripey flame look...
http://www.meanstreetguitars.com/Mean_Street_Guitars_Evil_Rat_Jorge.jpg
Now a required exercise for the reader, that's you, is to pick a model & color scheme that you would go with & share your choice & why. The writer of this read, that's me, cannot help you make your choice. Assume that the testimonials are true & accurate & that the positive reviews on Harmony Central are true & accurate.
Till later comes...turn it up to affordable cool.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Amalgam o' stuff
So now in third week of the year and it's now time for an amalgam of stuffs...
Language - So outside one store near the boys' school is a sign on which words are placed. The words on the sign a bit ago were congrating a couple on their new baby & the sign said "It's a boy." I didn't think much of it but my wandering mind got stuck on that simple phrase commonly used to announce a birth. I got to thinking about the use of "It's" in that saying. It? It what? It who? Of course It refers to the baby. Isn't the baby a he or she? So why not "He's a boy!" or "She's a girl!" But that's redundant....Wouldn't want someone to end up writing "He's a girl!" or "She's a boy!" How about "The baby' s a boy!" or "The baby's a girl!" "It's..." ugh.
Service dogs - Terra's mom has trained her personal dog, a bouvier, to be her guide dog as mom is blind. Bouvier's are unique & I never even knew about them until meeting Terra. Anyway...It never fails that whenever she goes out-no people don't shout "John Jacob Jingle Heimer Schmidt"- People always want to know about Hanna, the dog. Rule 1 is don't touch a service dog who is working. Rule 2 is how about you don't touch the dog at all. People ask mom a lot what kind of dog it is. I told her she should reply with "The kind that has fur & barks." Mom is always having to tell people, even though Hanna does have clear & visible signs that say don't touch her, to not touch her dog. I told her she should say to such people, "Do I walk up to you & poke you in the eyes? Well don't touch my eyes who happens to be Hanna!"
Weather - Yup it's cold. What else is new? Sheez. Go away cold, we need the rain. On our trip to Irvine this last weekend down the always & ever exciting I5 we saw citrus trees bare & some even covered with a thick layer of ice.
American Idol - Seatlle episode was pathetic. I never really like watching the show anyways but Terra was watching it the other night. Friends shouldn't let friends audition if they can't sing. If these people would just pause, & have someone taking a video clip of them doing their bit, they would be spared the public scrutiny of Simon & all.
Audio from DVD - Almost a why bother process. First, DVD technology is one of those great creations we get to enjoy. But we haven't tried to get anything for portability for the car for long trips yet. Doesn't mean we won't in the future. Anyway for our trip to So. Cal. I decided to use some available tools to grab the audio off of the Star Wars episodes 1-3 DVDs & them put the audio into mono .mp3 format. What a slow process that was. First gotta extract the audio in AC3 format, then gotta use another tool to convert the AC3 to .WAV format but does the tool actually produce mono even when selected in the UI? No. So then gotta load it all up in Audacity & convert to mono, compress & normalize-a step I forgot to do which made the quiet parts hard to hear, then spend a bit of time breaking the audio up into 30 minute chunks. Then there's the use of lame to create the .mp3. Shoulda just bought a portable DVD in the first place. laff. I did enjoy trying to follow along the story in me mind though. I think the boys enjoyed it as well.
Cloning musicians - I remember a few months ago checking out a video clip of a EVH look alike playing Cathedral. I was impressed for I hadn't even tried to play it yet. First feedback comment from someone was basically "Gotta play it faster." In my own practice of the thing with a metronome, I realized early on that a) I couldn't play as fast as Eddie does & b) I didn't have to play it that fast. Who cares if it's not as fast as EVH. First, Eddie has unusually long fingers. Second, he generally can out play anyone speed wise. Third, Eddie purposely wanted to make it hard for cats to copy him. Is the fun in trying to be exactly like the musician you are trying to clone or is the fun in playing something at a pace that works for you & brings you to your happy place? So right now my tempo is based upon a fixed & unchangeable delay value built into my amp. And I walk in the snow 20 miles uphill both ways while playing it & I like it that way. So until I dig out my Qverb 2 from the land down under in the garage, the tempo is what it will be with my own twists on the tune...Soon to be demonstrated in some form or another...
Welp that is the clutter of me ramblings for this now.
Language - So outside one store near the boys' school is a sign on which words are placed. The words on the sign a bit ago were congrating a couple on their new baby & the sign said "It's a boy." I didn't think much of it but my wandering mind got stuck on that simple phrase commonly used to announce a birth. I got to thinking about the use of "It's" in that saying. It? It what? It who? Of course It refers to the baby. Isn't the baby a he or she? So why not "He's a boy!" or "She's a girl!" But that's redundant....Wouldn't want someone to end up writing "He's a girl!" or "She's a boy!" How about "The baby' s a boy!" or "The baby's a girl!" "It's..." ugh.
Service dogs - Terra's mom has trained her personal dog, a bouvier, to be her guide dog as mom is blind. Bouvier's are unique & I never even knew about them until meeting Terra. Anyway...It never fails that whenever she goes out-no people don't shout "John Jacob Jingle Heimer Schmidt"- People always want to know about Hanna, the dog. Rule 1 is don't touch a service dog who is working. Rule 2 is how about you don't touch the dog at all. People ask mom a lot what kind of dog it is. I told her she should reply with "The kind that has fur & barks." Mom is always having to tell people, even though Hanna does have clear & visible signs that say don't touch her, to not touch her dog. I told her she should say to such people, "Do I walk up to you & poke you in the eyes? Well don't touch my eyes who happens to be Hanna!"
Weather - Yup it's cold. What else is new? Sheez. Go away cold, we need the rain. On our trip to Irvine this last weekend down the always & ever exciting I5 we saw citrus trees bare & some even covered with a thick layer of ice.
American Idol - Seatlle episode was pathetic. I never really like watching the show anyways but Terra was watching it the other night. Friends shouldn't let friends audition if they can't sing. If these people would just pause, & have someone taking a video clip of them doing their bit, they would be spared the public scrutiny of Simon & all.
Audio from DVD - Almost a why bother process. First, DVD technology is one of those great creations we get to enjoy. But we haven't tried to get anything for portability for the car for long trips yet. Doesn't mean we won't in the future. Anyway for our trip to So. Cal. I decided to use some available tools to grab the audio off of the Star Wars episodes 1-3 DVDs & them put the audio into mono .mp3 format. What a slow process that was. First gotta extract the audio in AC3 format, then gotta use another tool to convert the AC3 to .WAV format but does the tool actually produce mono even when selected in the UI? No. So then gotta load it all up in Audacity & convert to mono, compress & normalize-a step I forgot to do which made the quiet parts hard to hear, then spend a bit of time breaking the audio up into 30 minute chunks. Then there's the use of lame to create the .mp3. Shoulda just bought a portable DVD in the first place. laff. I did enjoy trying to follow along the story in me mind though. I think the boys enjoyed it as well.
Cloning musicians - I remember a few months ago checking out a video clip of a EVH look alike playing Cathedral. I was impressed for I hadn't even tried to play it yet. First feedback comment from someone was basically "Gotta play it faster." In my own practice of the thing with a metronome, I realized early on that a) I couldn't play as fast as Eddie does & b) I didn't have to play it that fast. Who cares if it's not as fast as EVH. First, Eddie has unusually long fingers. Second, he generally can out play anyone speed wise. Third, Eddie purposely wanted to make it hard for cats to copy him. Is the fun in trying to be exactly like the musician you are trying to clone or is the fun in playing something at a pace that works for you & brings you to your happy place? So right now my tempo is based upon a fixed & unchangeable delay value built into my amp. And I walk in the snow 20 miles uphill both ways while playing it & I like it that way. So until I dig out my Qverb 2 from the land down under in the garage, the tempo is what it will be with my own twists on the tune...Soon to be demonstrated in some form or another...
Welp that is the clutter of me ramblings for this now.
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