tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post5292365328924775447..comments2024-03-04T16:13:43.964-05:00Comments on Darwinfish 2: Guitar Zerobluzdudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991272670722362652noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-24591531451454557192012-02-01T21:22:03.860-05:002012-02-01T21:22:03.860-05:00I have a couple harmonicas... I thought that surel...I have a couple harmonicas... I thought that surely I'd be able to learn to play them... <br /><br />No such luck.<br /><br />But man, the applause is addictive, isn't it? As bloggers, the comments have to be our applause.bluzdudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05991272670722362652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-80691612319798133442012-02-01T20:48:20.152-05:002012-02-01T20:48:20.152-05:00Never taking music (or voice) lessons is one of th...Never taking music (or voice) lessons is one of the big regrets of my life.<br /><br />My heyday was when a group of friends decided to do the song "Lonely People" by America for our eighth-grade talent show. One of the ones with actual talent learned the harmonica solo by ear (in minutes), and taught it to me (in weeks).<br /><br />I never picked up another instrument in my life, but I still remember the applause when I played that freaking harmonica.<br /><br />Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Next life, for both of us, maybe?sherry stanfa-stanleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00680055033925659511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-49629356501780123612012-01-29T17:06:43.049-05:002012-01-29T17:06:43.049-05:00Believe me, I FEEL like the Bubble Boy sometimes. ...Believe me, I FEEL like the Bubble Boy sometimes. I have pillows on the arm rests of my desk chair at home, have padded wrist-rests all over the place... it's bizarre. I'm used to being indestructible; it's weird to have to take such precautions.<br /><br />If you want to check out some of my other good stories, I suggest going down to the "Label Cloud" at the bottom right side of this blog, and clicking on "Stories and Misadventures." Also try "Best of Darwinfish," for my self-considered best work.bluzdudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05991272670722362652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-58633007640381145982012-01-29T14:20:00.315-05:002012-01-29T14:20:00.315-05:00Holy cow Batman, this is quite a situation you'...Holy cow Batman, this is quite a situation you're enduring. I hope that they soon leave never to return! I have an image of you as the bubble boy...the one who could not go into sunlight because of a rare condition.<br /><br />I now know I must go back and read all of your archives because you're such an interesting storyteller. So much I'm missing otherwise!Deb Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-64194630431731729122012-01-28T20:33:00.000-05:002012-01-28T20:33:00.000-05:00If I listen to Eminem, I'm afraid I might lose...If I listen to Eminem, I'm afraid I might lose too many brain cells to even seize a pork chop.bluzdudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05991272670722362652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-24672489920131772902012-01-28T19:47:25.346-05:002012-01-28T19:47:25.346-05:00listen to eminem's lose yourself over and over...listen to eminem's lose yourself over and over and you'll find yourself seizing more opportunitiesWhitney Souphttp://www.whitneysoup.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-87203877348136075032012-01-28T18:08:49.029-05:002012-01-28T18:08:49.029-05:00Oh definitely... if all that happened in these tim...Oh definitely... if all that happened in these times, I totally would have pulled some How To's off YouTube. I found I learned so much better when someone could show me what to do, as opposed to reading about it.<br /><br />The little bits I can do, I learned from a friend. When I was managing a Video Rental store, about 5 years after getting my guitar, I hired a guy that was a guitar player. He got real excited when I told him about it, so one night we brought our guitars in and after closing, we set up and he showed me some things. Taught me that I could play "Wild Thing" with the chords I knew, and using that, I realized that I could then play "Louie Louie." There's my set list... two songs.bluzdudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05991272670722362652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-77728969090467006892012-01-28T18:05:35.768-05:002012-01-28T18:05:35.768-05:00I'm really OK where I am. To me, the big diff...I'm really OK where I am. To me, the big difference is that instead of writing posts about the cool shit I wish I did, I could write about cool shit I actually did. Which a lot cooler...bluzdudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05991272670722362652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-8977267416942982532012-01-28T17:59:03.858-05:002012-01-28T17:59:03.858-05:00I developed the DPU in 2001, just as I turned 40. ...I developed the DPU in 2001, just as I turned 40. It was like, "Happy birthday to you... now begin your physical disintegration." <br /><br />I read that the average length of time people have this malady is 9-10 years. I'm past that now, so I'm hoping they'll go away soon. <br /><br />Was your lab assistant's hives triggered by contact, or something else like stress?bluzdudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05991272670722362652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-15031972315113083372012-01-28T17:54:28.518-05:002012-01-28T17:54:28.518-05:00I love drums. Way back in the day, we lived in an...I love drums. Way back in the day, we lived in an old house with a finished barn. I had a buddy that brought his drum kit out there for a couple of weeks so I got to play around with it and learn where things were. One thing I learned is that I'm OK on drums as long as I don't use my feet. I'm completely incapable of keeping different rhythms with hands and feet. But other than that, I had a blast with it. Really helped my "air-drumming." <br /><br />Paid off about 20 years later too, because I went to a party where the host was a musician and had some drums in his garage. I slid behind the kit and played along, surprising the hell out of everyone. I blogged about it here: http://darwinfish2.blogspot.com/2009/11/animal-house.html<br /><br />I guess that's the cool thing about drums... you don't have to be able to read music... if you have the coordination, you can just go by the feel.<br /><br />Lastly, thank you so much for the follow, and retweeting my post announcement. That was very kind of you.bluzdudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05991272670722362652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-22821059887910077532012-01-28T16:37:22.375-05:002012-01-28T16:37:22.375-05:00And about your Urticaria, one of my former lab ass...And about your Urticaria, one of my former lab assistant has that. It took the docs about a year to diagnose him correctly. It's a difficult thing to live with. He would start with one or two small hives on his back and by the end of the next day, his entire back would be swollen. He was a wonderful guy and a good friend. I miss seeing him every day. Best of luck managing yours. You have my sympathy.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01681799401614263953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-53867465938058269392012-01-28T16:33:15.780-05:002012-01-28T16:33:15.780-05:00I started playing guitar when I was six years old....I started playing guitar when I was six years old. I thought at the time, that it was the instrument for me. I wasn't very good, but passable and it depressed me. And then I heard John Bonham play drums when I was about 10 years old (I'm older than you) and my life changed. I fell immediately in love. I sat down behind a friends kit and discovered my true instrument. I was a natural and didn't know it, wouldn't have known it if I'd stuck with the guitar. Try a different instrument. I think there's a musician in all of us, don't stop looking for yours. I've put you on my blog roll and am going to follow you on twitter. Have a lovely weekend.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01681799401614263953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-28282085847955095602012-01-28T14:33:25.195-05:002012-01-28T14:33:25.195-05:00My best friend used to play an Ibanez! Just the n...My best friend used to play an Ibanez! Just the name brings back so many memories. It's funny that if you were presented with the challenge of entertaining a crowd on guitar these days, you'd just go to YouTube, watch a couple of videos, and be a rockstar by the time you had the thing in your hands.Unapologetically Mundanehttp://www.unapologeticallymundane.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-6059709523649434132012-01-28T11:16:25.095-05:002012-01-28T11:16:25.095-05:00I've always had the urge to learn too, as I ha...I've always had the urge to learn too, as I have an appreciation. That sucks big time about the hives. But I never have any regrets over what I did or did not do because if you think about it, if you did that thing you'd have regrets about something else. You'd always wonder about what you are doing now or you wouldn't have such thoughts and maybe not even appreciate where you are at because you never went down the path you are now to have the regrets. So best to just take it as it comes and do what you do, let the rest fall where it does, least that's my take on it.Pat Hatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07745293224202430152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-1523981343635740142012-01-28T10:52:35.670-05:002012-01-28T10:52:35.670-05:00Ash,
First of all, thank you for confirming that t...Ash,<br />First of all, thank you for confirming that the internet is not broken. You're the first comment since this post dropped on Thursday night. Until now, this post was being ignored like a girl in math class.<br /><br />It's funny you mention selling the guitar. I've considered it a number of times (as I have considered selling the rest of my trove of music memorabilia). I remember right after I got my guitar, I showed it to a couple of people that knew something about guitars. All of them were amazed by how easy it was to play... you know... if you knew what to DO! One guy told me it was worth about $2000. I said "Now if I ever find myself out on the street, I know what to sell."<br /><br />He said, "Your CAR!"<br /><br />For the record, I think he was vastly overstating the worth. I haven't seen any Ibanez guitars on Ebay or Craig's List going for anywhere near that.<br /><br />Bottom line... If and when my hives problem goes away, I may seek lessons. Then my biggest problem will be waiting to become good. I don't have the patience for all that "Mary Had a Little Lamb" crap... I want to sound like Stevie Ray Vaughan in 2 weeks!bluzdudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05991272670722362652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-75490920178411212082012-01-28T10:52:01.205-05:002012-01-28T10:52:01.205-05:00This guitar would have been perfect for you... the...This guitar would have been perfect for you... the neck is thin and the strings are very close to the frets... "low action", I was told that's called. Supposed to be very easy to play. Except by me.bluzdudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05991272670722362652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-89025272076540267842012-01-28T10:50:07.904-05:002012-01-28T10:50:07.904-05:00Yeah, that's why I put that paragraph in there...Yeah, that's why I put that paragraph in there... I knew everyone would be going, "Hey numbnut, go take some freakin' lessons!" Hell, I'd be saying it too! Just this week, my boss offered up her guitar-playing son to give me lessons. <br /><br />As a note for you or anyone else that has recently begun visiting, I have something called Delayed Pressure Urticaria (hives). This means whenever I come into extended contact with hard or pointed surfaces, the next day I'll have a painful red lesion, or raised lump there. It's the worst on hands and feet. I posted about it last May, here: http://darwinfish2.blogspot.com/2011/05/hive-mentality.html<br /><br />Needless to say, guitar strings digging into my fingertips would make for an agonizing next few days.bluzdudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05991272670722362652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-55344962171823274192012-01-28T10:39:13.159-05:002012-01-28T10:39:13.159-05:00Bluz,
Until the next to the last paragraph before ...Bluz,<br />Until the next to the last paragraph before you devolved into your fantasy remake of the day, I was all about "hey, it's not too late, you can take lessons now, no time like the present, put it on your bucket list," and a few other trite but genuine expressions of encouragement. Then when I read about your hives issue, my heart sank for you. Truly. This seems like a really big regret of yours in the missed opportunity department and I hope you consider taking a music theory class or something....so you can check this off your bucket list!Deb Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01071356558083822955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-53351764900433499822012-01-28T09:42:49.599-05:002012-01-28T09:42:49.599-05:00Well, I did take guitar lessons as well as piano l...Well, I did take guitar lessons as well as piano lessons. Unfortunately I have very small and slender hands, and I never could play any chords successfully in a comfortable way. So much for that!<br /><br />You guitar is certainly classy-looking, Bluz! It's never to late to learn!!<br /><br />YEEHAHJudiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02778815502961000469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-329507352453931374.post-388941254178862172012-01-28T06:43:05.158-05:002012-01-28T06:43:05.158-05:00I think eBay is the only logical next step. But I ...I think eBay is the only logical next step. But I too share your passion for music without having one freaking idea as to how to play an instrument haha. Great post :)<br /><br />-AshAshley and Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10450163300660482812noreply@blogger.com