Tuning Issues

In my pledge to self to share more of my ramblings in the musical arena, I was presented with such an opportunity last night.  At some point in the afternoon, my son (heretofore to be referred to as Luc, owing greatly to the fact that that is indeed his name) placed himself in my studio and decided to re-tune my guitars closer to what’s considered “funny” by a six year old’s aural palette.  Sensing a challenge, I gave myself a few minutes to try to record something in the mephistophelean tuning.  The results of this endeavor are not good, nor particularly well done, but I (at least) think it might qualify as interesting.  It is, as well, mixed hastily with very few effects and no EQ.

Enjoy.

Luc’s self portrait

Luc took this picture of himself today – I seem to always just find these things when I am looking for something else.

Why i love the internet

This story was relayed to me by a third party, so I am sure that it is about as factual as the commodities market. But anywho, he was at this party at a hotel and everybody was on acid. There was this one fat guy who had been passed out on the bed all night and at some point, late in the evening, he stood up on the bed, pulled down his pants and started peeing on everybody.
Of course, he got the shit beat out of him, but by that point it was too late. The damage had been done.
This story, while true or not, often reminds me of the internet.

New amps

I have built a couple of guitar amplifiers and realized that I should probably post some pics/clips of said artifacts. I will try to provide more info as time permits.

One of them is a tweed champ and the other is a tweed bassman. I have also built some studio equipment (compressors, eqs etc.) Maybe I can post some pics of those as well.

Just in case there was doubt

I have visual proof that Luc is my spawn.

String Quartet

I will temporarily have some audio files from a string quartet I have been working on accessible from this site.  They should be available on the right hand widget.  The pieces are as follows:

Movement I – Wildflowers in Spring
Movement ii – Strolling through Summer
Movement iii – Autumn Dusk
Movement IV – No Port in Winter

Obviously, these are loosely inspired by the seasons and are fairly short in length.  Feel free to leave comments.

Rambling about coffee

I thought I’d ramble about coffee for a bit.  I finally broke down and bought an espresso machine and grinder this year (a Saeco Aroma and a Baratza Virtuoso).  I wanted a step up from my usual drip and french press at home coffee brewing and I have to say that although both are on the lower end of the coffee scale, they do a decent job at producing an espresso.  I definitely recommend checking either of these out and getting a hold of some good fresh roasted coffee beans.  I am thinking about starting to roast my own thanks to Sweet Marias.  Although, I will say that I tend to have a perpetual coffee buzz going on, it is indeed nice to rid myself of the bucks and I think this equipment produces products that is at least as good as chain places.

Existential clothing crisis

Sometimes I find it hard to reconcile my need for suspenders, string ties and seersucker suits with modern haute couture and fabric availability. Now – if I could just find a good place to get my hats blocked.

Yet more tattoo work

I am getting another session on my sleeve and chest plate this weekend.
It’s a japanese scene depicting Minamoto no Yoshitune training with Tengu.

49 places it’s not good to fart (for Peter Greenaway)

1. In a fox hole
2. When it is expected of you
3. In a fiat
4. When you are not favored by the wind
5. When you might be bested by a child
6. In a crypt
7. In your crypt
8. A cheese shop
9. The hot dog corner at a 7 eleven
10. While being tattooed
11. A prostate exam
12. While getting a caricature
13. On a Chihuahua
14. On a manhole being captained by a pirate
15. At a seminar on flatulence (too obvious)
16. At jimmy buffet’s yacht
17. While playing parcheesi
18. In the Mississippi river
19. Beside a coma patient
20. Anywhere in Greenland
21. While attempting to spell disambiguate
22. On so you think you can dance
23. A Sergio Leone film
24. An oyster farm
25. A closet at the playboy mansion
26. Within 5 feet of a Burma shave ad
27. Anywhere socks are mended
28. While being fondled in a cemetery
29. When you have to pee
30. During a performance of les miserable (one would assume the opposite)
31. Behind a donkey (for obvious reasons)
32. Within 5 meters of a campfire
33. While employed by wal mart
34. When shopping for Korean china
35. While wearing a burka
36. At the corner of a street named after a tree and one named after a civil war hero
37. While fasting
38. When the killer is in the next room
39. After someone has burned popcorn
40. While miming
41. At a meeting of the Enrico Fermi fan club
42. Beside an aging mousekateer
43. While squeezing feta
44. When opening a ’66 lafitte
45. While apprehending a counterfeiter
46. Under a tamarind tree
47. While eulogizing
48. Within 5 seconds of someone saying the word spunk
49. When interviewing a new chaplain