Dusty Chalk

Okay, now grab one ear with one hand and hop on your other sided foot. Okay, now look sullen. Okay, now...oh, c'mon, do it, it's cute! Yes, it's true, we didn't tell you not to grab both ears, and technically, you are correct, you followed instructions, but... Ha-ha! Has no ears Yes, you're correct, you're not an adult No, seriously, swallow, I'm about to take the picture. Well can't you at least try to look fatter -- deflated Totoro looks like something out of Under the Skin Lollers @ fat unicorn.

I just had some Bonchon, finished, put it away, rinsed my hands, dried said hands, sat at my computer...yadda yadda yadda...rubbed my eye and cried. IT BURNS, IT BURNS!!!1! Need to remember to wash my hands after Bonchon, I'm sure my kitties don't appreciate the extra spicy...

My guitar teacher today asked me if I like metal. He was wondering why I wanted to learn 7-string. I gave him the above run-down of metal -- how they downtuned and downtuned until finally they said fuck it and introduced the baritone and the 7-string; of Taylor Roberts and that whole backbeat school of playing where they have the 6 strings of a regular guitar and one bass string, and he thumps a bass note and then strum strum strum and diddle diddle diddle (yes, I made onomatopoeic noises for all those parts); and of me (who just wants a wider range, and otherwise not that far from the backbeat school). He was going to go look up Taylor Roberts later, I hope he finds this video, because he does exactly everything I just described at 0:17:

Yeah, the funny thing is, I've had that (The One) a long time ago -- the Parker Fly Deluxe. But for some reason, I keep trying others.

Yeah, I was recently given the advice -- in response to me complaining how slowly it was taking for me to pick up guitar -- to quit flitting around from instrument to instrument, 6 string, 7 string, baritone...a lot of guitarists have a favourite guitar and stick with them because that's what they're used to. Just pick one and stick with it. "I don't think I can do that. How do I decide which one I like unless I try them?" "Well then at least spend most of your time on one particular guitar, one particular scale length, one particular neck, and then spend 10% screwing around with other guitars." I can do that. Unrelated -- I wonder if Vox Amps are still no negative feedback? I don't want to pay the exorbitant prices for a vintage one.

Happy birthday! (party favour noise)

I don't (play with a bassist). But yeah, that's exactly why I went 7-string -- because I come from a piano background, and I want as much of a range as I can handle. Eventually going to work my way up to 8 string (NS/Stick). But also, there's this whole school of guitar playing called gypsy jazz, and yes, that's exactly what the 7th string is for -- it's for the bass back beat. Here's my favourite 7-string jazz guitarist (I don't think this is gypsy jazz, though): And finally -- the metal players. So what happened was, they (starting with Black Sabbath) started down-tuning their guitars to sound heavier, and down-tuning some more, until they ran into issues with scale length, so finally just started playing baritones or playing 7 strings.

(squints)

It was posted in the first person, so that's why I allowed for the possibility. Also: yeah, like that's the comment that got him banned.

Do not like.

It's a legitimate question -- I brought the guitar to class last week, and my teacher asked me, "What's the point of fanned frets?" and I couldn't really answer. The one thought I had before I got it is: I've been really grooving on the baritone lately, which, at 28", is just a tad over the lower end of the fanned fret at 27.7" -- so it's sort of a baritone on the bass side, and a regular guitar on the treble side. So it's kind of the best of both worlds. But he immediately helped me tune it so that I could play both the bass and the guitar parts of Starglue Sniffer on it, so ... he's still an awesome teacher. But yeah, mostly the guys who are drawn to it are the ones that like to come up with lead licks and riffs -- the metal guys. Even more so than on 7-strings, there isn't a whole lot of anyone else doing anything else on it (I don't intend to play metal on it, although I will learn some metal). PS The connector cable is called a speaker cable. Mesa Boogie is good stuff, I hope you enjoy it.

No, seriously, I dig the yellow one, too. I think if it came down to it, I'd have a hard time having the yellow one painted magenta -- I think I'd stick with the yellow. Yes, I like it that much. That said, he hasn't told me what my options are -- one more week. I think if he offered me an exotic, I'd do something that might get me pummeled -- have it painted magenta, but not the top. Ah, fantasies. No, seriously, I am not qualified on fanned frets, neither, but I think I'm newb enough that I can learn, and I'm happy to do so -- I think I will say yes to fanned frets. Unrelated, this guy is blowing me away:

Don't you need seed money for that?

Fascists.

Oh fuck yeah, that's my jam.

A Nu-Metal playlist on Spotify -- I'll admit it, I like some Nu-Metal. There's one song, in particular, from somewhen between 2005 and 2012 that I heard in a now defunct computer store that has been haunting me. I think it might be System of a Down or Crazy Town. On the other end of the "widely lauded" spectrum -- I.E. something I suspect will have universal appeal -- is The Mystery Lights -- sounds like it was written and performed back in the good old days (Motown/Sun Studio era?), but is a 2016 release. I can't even think of a single track to recommend, as I'm afraid of leaving one of the others out, so I'll just say, listen to the whole thing!

Yeezh.

Fuck fuck fuck. Fuckity fuck-fuck. RIP Scotty Moore. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/obituaries/musical-icon-elvis-guitarist-scotty-moore-dies-365c85ed-0ecb-5a13-e053-0100007f186c-384774031.html I know this guy wasn't the most pyrotechnical, but goddammit. I loved his music. Fuck.

Win! Thanks for that, it's always nice to go to sleep on such a happy bedtime story. I love the fighting with the wife bit -- that was a nice touch!

I know the rest of us are not saying much, but I believe we are all watching how this unfolds. TAKE THE FUCKER DOWN! Let us know if there is anything we can do besides show moral support.