Here’s a snap from morning rehearsal. A successful rehearsal, too. Trent, the new guy, is putting in the focused time required for this project. Focused means going beyond the strictly musical and incorporating the countless aspects of performance. We are past the point where so many others begin to consider practice as work. Trent reports the sessions are fun. Here’s him strumming his Gibson flat top. We have chosen five tunes to concentrate on, including that new favorite, “Like My Dog”.
As Trent has no qualms about applying the principles of duo arrangement, I have more freedom with the bass lines. Other guitarists would be complaining like hell by now. We have already managed some “original covers”. That sounds contradictory for how could a cover be original? Easy--when two different instruments are coordinated in a way to emulate the full band. The sound is superior to duos which are (and sound) like guitars in unison instead of harmony. Even a disappointing bingo these days is enough to make for a great Sunday. It dropped to the 40s last evening, cold enough to turn the scooter round trip to Jimbos into the Iditarod. I drank one soda and could feel it chill me through. There are no hot drinks at that club.
In my spare time (ha-ha), I’ve been watching the exchange rates. As we know the US is printing dollars to pay the bills. This surprises nobody who has taken a basic course in monetary supply. The politicians are banking on kick-starting the economy back to the level where taxation can support their entitlement programs. Like many, I doubt that will ever happen. Inflation will follow, and that is not a guess since we have passed the point of no return. The junk dollars are already out there.
Thus, one should hold at least some foreign currency, not to be confused with currency trading. The top recommendation appears to be Australian money, but the one I am most familiar with is the Canadian dollar. I have a sixth sense what that will do next, plus I can do the conversions instantly in my head and I am familiar with the five year lag time in its behavior. I would not be surprised to see the Looney heading for $2 USD within the year.
I was in Venezuela when the Bolivar fell in half. Locally, it makes no difference as prices don’t change instantly. But my reserve in then-healthy US dollars doubled my net worth and I took the entire hotel staff to Xmas dinner at the fanciest place in town. By taxi. The point is I have personally experienced what it is like to have my wealth soar overnight. Don’t pay any attention to those who only dream and talk about such things, you have to be there yourself. I’ll explain once more why I say that.
It’s something easy to experience, difficult to understand. The problem or blessing, depending on your situation, is that money does not behave linearly. That is, making twice as much does not necessarily make you twice as happy. Rather, there is a point below which lies misery, above which is abundance. For myself, that point is quite a low. History speaks for itself: as soon as I surpass it, that’s my Cadillac in the parking lot next to the boss’s second-hand Volkswagen.
Put another way, it does not matter if you make double the money if all you do is pay bills with it. Myself, as soon as I’m above water, every penny I make is either enjoyed or invested—and I’m above water at around $620 per month. For the record, I have noticed a characteristic behavior in the types who need a thousand or more a month to get by. They tend to believe that every one of their personal problems has a political solution. That is, they are constantly including and blaming others who would rather be left alone. In difficult times, I reach for my guitar; they reach for their telephone. Now that I mention it, you may have noticed that as well.
Last, it seems Big Jim may have been asking around for me the last few days. I wonder what’s up? The word is he quit his fancy job and now plays only music. Just you figure out which was one of the three phone numbers lost when my cell phone was stolen last year? Rumor is he walked in asking for me, so he must live right near by. Last I heard he was doing a strum along Karaoke. Where do you suppose he got an idea like that?
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