One year ago today: January 17, 2021, my latest jig.
Five years ago today: January 17, 2017, jammin’ at Macs.
Nine years ago today: January 17, 2013, the sausage war.
Random years ago today: January 17, 2004, I totally don’t recall Manfreya.
My favorite post today shows that Joe, “the most popular president in US history” had only 628 views on his MLK Day address. That hardly compares well with this blog. It goes on to say there were more people lined up for the porta-potties at Trump’s rally on Saturday. The mid-terms will be a Democrat blood-bath, but that put the horrid Kamela (not a typo) in the White House and I don’t know if many will stand for that. That person would cause a burning rift that could not heal no how.
The wall thickness is 2-1/2”, being made from 2x3” shown here one-foot on-center. The insulation already keeps the walls cool to the touch on the interior and there is a fan that keeps the space temperate so far on even the hottest of days. It’s no help in a cold spell like the one we’ve got right now. As I’ve said, the cabin is above the Florida “frost line” as defined by a motorcycle rider and it can stay cold here for months at a time. Cold meaning anything below 45ºF and I reserve the right to change that.
The band, and this is typical once we start gigging a lot, has not scheduled any rehearsals. There’s term for this but I call it resting on their laurels. It’s true that without pressure, it means this band may never learn another new song. I’ve chosen one to put that to the test, and it is Brooks & Duunes, “Next Broken Heart”. To make it easy, I’ve made up charts for each musician with markings for fills that they play. This band is no good at stops. We do them, but they’re not good. What am I working on for myself these days? Here’s some paragraphs on that.
I was too young to appreciate it, but a huge and true influence in American popular music was the group Peter Paul and Mary (correctly spelled without punctuation). It’s a bit corny to watch some of their old videos, as they retained a lot of the mannerisms of the 40s and 50s. I didn’t become a fan because they did not provide their own orchestration, which was my total focus when I started my first teen bands, none of which went anywhere, I admit. Then again, for me it was a fairly hostile musical environment, I mean it is not like I got any help or encouragement. Just sayin’.
Mary was a bit of a babe and usually they did heavy harmonies only to guitar strums, which I never could play. It is impressive how they used only microphone dynamics to get such a balance sound. I first tried guitar when I was 12, you know. One of those dumb books that taught the notes, which I already knew from two years of piano lessons were not all that important. I’m getting to the point, which is the change in that group’s music when they hit the recording studio.
They had great back-up studio musicians, back with it was an art instead of today’s string of memorized licks. Now one of their bass lines I found addictively challenging. The notes are an easy pattern but getting the sound right, well, I still don’t have it down. This form of bass line, written completely independent of the melody, has always grabbed my attention. The tune is “I Dig Rock and Roll Music”, though you will have to dig for the correct version. None of the available live and many of the overdubbed videos do not have what you want. Watch those variations on the minor chords, 99% of us get those wrong at first.
Normally I would not care for such a bass line as it is very “guitar-like”, but the exception is when such riffs can be punched up into great bass. This one uses thirds, which appeals to me even if it is a chromatic run in this case. Play it exactly right as a tune-up riff on stage and that, my fans, gets the right audience reaction. I’m deep learning this number as a solo.
Clearest photo of Jupiter ever.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.
This is my Tennessee mail box, or at least that is the destination. Coinrama tried to put a withdrawal through twice on the business account, I caught them same day. They will, of course, say it was an error. However, I am always suspicious when errors favor one side only. I also do not tolerate businesses that don’t put the money back right away and sort out the problem while the cash is in my account. The mail box is a little dusty as I’ve had it several years, waiting for a spot to call home. It could be an antique, as I know the design to be 1930s and that is enamel, not paint.
So much for computer security and cybersecurity and a ton of that BS. It how requires an appointment to make any changes to your bank account. And 72 hours to set attach PayPal. They simply trade one form of inconvenience and risk for another. It is now 14 days since we’ve been ready to commence operations and yet another bank meeting had to be scheduled for tomorrow. Turns out USBank arbitrarily closed every branch in central Florida, leaving me no way to make direct deposits. We found mail in works, but it they have made it slow and unpredictable. Gone are “next day” mail deliveries and deposits, though I may eventually find one of the highly-touted USBank ATMs that accepts deposits.
One happy note is I went through every transaction on the USBank account and found the missing $421. I treat bank statements like cash and have never gone wrong doing that. This is all in preparation for the new Biden law that reports all transactions over $600. Right now, it applies only to business, but they’ll flip the switch. I’ve heard dozens of people scheming how they will get around this one. If you have only one bank account in your own name, good luck.
ADDENDUM
There is a plan emerging. It is a potential trip if either the van gets running right or it gets replaced. A twenty day trip to visit Wyoming in the summer. Why? No reason, but it might include a side trip up the center of Montana and down the eastern side. I have not been in Montana since 1999 and that was a one-day drive through. And I’ve never seen the prairie side of the state, at least not in daylight. Just a sight-seeing tour, no particular reason or destination, but to say I’ve been there. It uses the original budget for my motorcycle tour that was canceled a few years ago. I would consider a travel trailer even if I had the van in great shape.
