#guitar

Yes. Big Time!
When I attended college we did not study: gender studies, black history, feminism, equity and inclusion, etc. I studied composition, arranging, harmony, counterpoint, improvisation, music history, conducting, ear training, guitar, piano, bass guitar, digital systems, analog systems, power supplies, electricity, physics, calculus, English Literature, US History, Ancient History, Fine Arts, Public Speaking, Psychology, Philosophy, Network engineering, machine language, basic programming, pascal programming, C Programming, IP addressing, Subnet masking, OSPF, BGP, RIP, WAN, LAN, Routers, Switches, Firewalls, OSI Model, Access Lists, etc

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And after acquiring all of this knowledge I worked hard to apply what I had learned. In the case of music, I performed in bands and practiced to continuously improve. In the case of engineering I became a Cisco Certified and Baynetworks Certified Network Engineer and worked for many organizations over a 40 year career i.e. Motorola, Nortel, Cabletron, Bay Networks, Cisco, State of New Hampshire, Vital Networks, Bloomin Brands and Tech Data.

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Whenever possible, I studied subjects that interested me and that I knew would allow me to earn money and provide for my family. I also studied music, not for the money, but because I love Music and that has always been my dream to earn a degree from Berklee College of Music. Some people say, so what? Who cares? Here is the thing, when we are moments away from death and we reflect upon the life we have lived, what will we think? Will we regret our life because we only did those things that made us money? Or will we have a more balanced appreciation that we utilized our time to not only provide for our family but that we also achieved our dream and thus satisfied our soul? The choice is ours to make and only we, as individuals, can make those choices and be honest enough to own whatever choice we make, and refrain from blaming other people or society, and thus become "victims."

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My father once told me the following: "son you've made your bed, and now you must lie in it." Which translated, means that we are responsible for the decisions we make and the consequences of those decisions whether good or bad. Said differently, we must take responsibility for what we think, say and do.

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There are many things that annoy me. Here are a few examples:

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1. Toilet Paper - nobody in my house will replace the toilet paper.
2. Toothpaste - the toothpaste cap is never screwed on properly.
3. Cooking - the burners on the stove a left on.
4. Getting dressed - I have to get dressed in the dark to not upset my wife.
5. Driving - I live in Florida where drivers either refuse to use their turn signals when making a turn, or they use the incorrect turn signal.
6. Highway driving - some people drive the speed limit. Some folks drive 40 miles over the speed limit. And yes, the remainder drive 40 miles under the speed limit. It is literally a shit show.
7. Religion - I perform at several churches. Both of these churches have operating budgets that are in the red. The average age of the congregation is 70+ years old and very few young people attend; and yet, these churches do literally nothing to attract young people into their congregation and each week the priests and ministers complain about financial difficulties while offering no realistic solutions.

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Rules:

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#1. Pick your battles - When I get annoyed, I ask myself this question:
Is this a battle worth fighting for?
Will my voice and effort make a difference?
If not, I remain silent, disengage, and pursue my own interests and goals. I refuse to fight battles where I am not allowed to affect change.

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#2. It is what it is vs it is what you make it. -
This is more of a philosophical argument or issue of perception, similar to the question: is your cup half full or half empty? In my experience, when people refuse to change, it is what it is. And unless I have the authority or power to force the necessary changes, the cup will remain half empty; however, if I am in control and allowed to make changes, my cup is half full and the outcome will be what I or we (the collective group) make it. I suppose that is why I am an introvert and enjoy writing poetry, playing golf or playing my guitar. Only then am I in complete control of the outcome and the goals and objectives that I have set forth.

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#3. It could be worse - whenever I am annoyed, frustrated or impatient, I do the following:
a. I take a deep breath and count to 10.
b. I think to myself that it could be worse.
It could be worse if I was married to, or living with the person who is annoying me. This realization both comforts me and grounds me with an often overlooked truth that I am indeed in control of my own reality. A smile immediately appears on my face, and I silently thank God for blessing me and allowing me the common sense to put my reality into perspective and to stop worrying about people and things that I have no control over.

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-Peace-

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It was a lot of fun! The party was for those who had worked at the student nation I'm a part of this term. The day started with brunch down in the basement together with the team I was assigned to, which was super cozy 😊

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Then after that we went up to the activities for the early afternoon portion of the event, which was the part that was vacation themed. They had set up a TV and couches for you to play Mario Kart, gave you the ability to play Singstar and Guitar Hero on a big projector. Outside they had set up a big outdoor bar and then tons of beer pong tables. That event ended with a beer pong tournament, which we won! 🥳

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Then I headed back home to change into my suit for the formal three course dinner we had in the evening. We call those a "sittning" and there we sing a lot of Swedish drinking songs together. We had assigned seating and I got to know a lot of new people that way, which is always fun according to me! The ones I sat with really liked their wine and schnapps though so I couldn't help but get dragged in. You could say I was a bit... wobbly at the end 🥴

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I would've gone clubbing as well after that if it wasn't for how I was feeling and that I knew I was gonna go practice drive today to my grandma's birthday celebration. But overall, a really, really fun evening I'd say 🥂

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Also: This is what I wore for the vacation themed part, if people were curious lol

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Of course both verbal abuse and physical abuse is unacceptable. I can only answer your question based upon my own experiences with abuse. I dealt with daily abuse by avoiding my family and spending time in my bedroom practicing my guitar hoping that one day I would meet a kind hearted woman who might be willing to share her life with me. It took some time, but at age 24 I met a wonderful young lady while at work and we fell in love and began our life together. The abuse from my family did not end, but at least I had my own apartment and I was able to distance myself from it.

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Unfortunately, when you live with an abuser it can be very difficult. I would recommend that you try to establish boundaries concerning what behaviors you will accept and which behaviors you will not tolerate. Then the question becomes how you react when your personal boundaries are violated, as mine were for many years. That is where working helps, friendships help and developing hobbies that you are passionate about also help.

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Good Luck!

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"Depressing Love" by Alex

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Yes it is depressing when you love someone but they accuse you of not loving them, especially early in the relationship when the couple are still trying to understand one another. I admit that I get distracted with my music and writing and they become an obsession. Once I put my pen to paper or start playing my guitar, I do not like to be interrupted unless it is an emergency. Unfortunately, most people I have lived with whether brother, sister, parents, wife or children, do not understand or appreciate the mind of an artist and so they confuse my passion and concentration as disinterest.

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It is one of the reasons that if I am ever single, I will remain single. Living by myself is the only way I will be able to create poems and music uninterrupted and without having to justify my behavior or being forced to deal with the constant complaints and accusations of disinterest. And as for me, I will never comprehend why people cannot understand that a writer cannot write nor a musician practice his music while simultaneously talking to family and friends or painting the house, washing the dishes or mowing the lawn. Music and writing require silence and concentration without comment or justification.

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So to answer your original question, yes it is most depressing to love people while also being accused of not loving them. It is also depressing to write poems that nobody reads or to write songs that people do not hear (because they are too busy talking) or to strive for perfection in an imperfect and uncaring world. And might I propose that this is precisely the reason why so many talented artists decide to end their lives. I completely understand! To be a sensitive soul living in an insensitive and uncaring world is, in my opinion, a profound and painful reality that is impossible to reconcile. Luckily for me, I am able to co-exist in both worlds, but I would much prefer to be a full time artist who devotes all of his time and effort to creating music and poetry.

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Thank you for your sincere and insightful question. /Alex

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My family is doing well. In fact my son recently purchased a 3 family property in Miami that he wants me to help.him renovate this summer. Also Anne, Faith and I are going to see Paul McCartney in concert in May. Faith is a huge Beatles fan.

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Paul McCartney gave a great interview a few months ago and I wrote to him explaining that I decide to learn the guitar because of the impact the Beatles had on me. Paul was gracious enough to thank me and to tell me he was impressed that I am still performing after all these years.

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McCartney is one of my favorite composers and musicians. The stuff he plays on bass guitar still blows me away. He approaches bass guitar in the same way a cello player plays cello. Paul plays lines and counterpoint no just the root and fifth like 90% of contemporary bassists.

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I suppose some guys notice but, in my own personal experience, I would not notice. Women who have been attracted to me literally have to tell me how they feel because I simply do not pay much mind to such things. For example, when I am performing with my guitar, I concentrate on what I am playing and do not see the beautiful women sitting in the front row staring at me.

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Here is a true story. In my high school yearbook I listed my best friend as "Bluesbird." My fellow classmates always assumed that Bluesbird was an anonymous girl who I was in love with. Imagine their surprise when, during a reunion, they asked me who "Bluesbird" was and I finally revealed that it was my guitar. Seriously pathetic right? The truth is that during my high school years I performed in a rock band and one of my guitars was a black Guild Bluesbird.

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I'm a 30-something, single, college educated, middle class woman. People describe me as strong-willed, confident, distant, aggressive and funny. I describe myself as a wordsmith (occupation), ass-shaker (hobby), car singer (secret talent) and sexy nerd who can have a conversation with anyone - but would prefer to be left the fuck alone. 9/10 times, I'm thinking, "move out of my way, don't start, you tried it (and failed), don't bother me, where can I get some chocolate?," or Spanish music lyrics. I love rarely, but hard and cut people off often and easily. Earth is ghetto, I wanna leave. But for now I'll just get high and wish I could be with the one man who knows how to turn on my body and shut off my brain. I collect things—comic books, bottles of cologne, sunglasses, platinum and tungsten carbide jewelry, art (traditional and digital), photographs and many other things. I enjoy strategy games like chess and Magic, my favorite formats being the older ones. I'm an atheist and skeptic. I wear black a lot, which I see as representing neither a brooding personality nor an inclination towards a gothic motif. My taste in music and film is eclectic. I'm currently writing a novel set in Afghanistan. I don't consume drugs or alcohol because I don't trust myself to do either in moderation. My sense of humor is dark, bordering on morbid but I still love Disney films like The Little Mermaid. I don't put a lot of stock in IQ tests and think people who brag about their IQ are generally losers. Sports involving a ball bore me to tears. I hate pop music and bright colors. I voted green party in the past two presidential elections. I love Coke and hate Pepsi. I put ice in all my drinks. My favorite colognes are tea scented. Whip Inflation Now. Make love, not war. Why are you still reading this?
I work as an engineer for the Director of Operations at a robotics company. I do what needs doing and enjoy it, but ultimately my career is just a job. I collect myriad hobbies and inevitably discard them, as nothing maintains interest. Principally, I read history, philosophy, and science, mostly during lunch. I also play guitar and study foreign languages. I feel very alive when listening to the right music, and I feel mostly dead otherwise. Regarding personality, I'm like a still ocean, occasionally disturbed by ripples in the wake of a passing ship, but only ever lightly, and never for long. I appreciate irony.
I'm quiet and scared shitless most of the time. I tend to come across as a know-it-all but this is usually just a mask for my insecurity. I have a fear of abandonment so I get emotionally attached too easily. I'm pretty intuitive and I like philosophy.

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I am a naturally sane and good-natured person who always looks on the bright side of life. I look out for everyone. Shy, honest, anxious, determined, cat lover, antisocial, pluviophile, funny, boring. I try to bring out the best in people. Caring, oblivious, vindictive, creative, trustworthy, indignant, self-pitying, verbose, introspective, affectionate. I am a very caring person who's looking for making people's days a bit brighter and
Insecure, shy, reserved, distrusting, understanding, ride or die, funny, witty, intelligent, chunky but funky
Empathetic, self-motivated, nonjudgmental, endlessly curious about the human condition, introspective. Empathetic, dog-lover, insecure, easy-going, wine-lover, intelligent, sensitive but strong, hard working, perfectionist. How would I describe myself? Three words. Hard-working, Alpha male, Jackhammer. Merciless. Insatiable. You and me both. Worst part is knowing it and knowing that I'll suspect tremendous potential until the day I die, having achieved nothing to measure up to what I suspect could have been.
I'm happy and funny and smart and good looking and radiant and medium build and brown eyes and well read and I love rock and roll and I live in the city but I wish I lived on a farm but not too far out 'cause I like to party and socialise and go to movies and shows and i like shoe shopping and sometimes I feel a bit guilty for eating all the ice cream but mostly I'm OK with roast beef for dinner but I also like pizza for a change and I like Reddit a lot and I sometimes play Guitar Hero but only when there isn't any Mock the Week on repeat on Dave and sometimes I like to cycle to the park and sit and check all the hot mommas out and every time I go home and touch myself I die a little inside.
I got asked this in a job interview not too long ago. It completely threw me off guard (it was my first real job interview) and I really had a hard time coming up with a good answer right away. I was literally slurring my words. Needless to say, I didn't. Visionary, I suppose. I have the habit of always drifting off into thought and coming up with ideas, theories and explanations randomly in my head based on stuff I see. It's a habit of mine, I guess. I always like to come up with my own solutions for things. Check out the synonyms: admirable, alluring, angelic, appealing, attractive, beauteous, bewitching, charming, classy, comely, cute, dazzling, delicate, delightful, divine, easy on the eyes, elegant, enticing, excellent, exquisite, fair, fascinating, fine, foxy*, good-looking, gorgeous, graceful, grand, handsome, ideal, lovely, magnificent, marvelous, nice, pleasing, pretty, radiant, ravishing, refined, resplendent, shapely, sightly, splendid, statuesque, stunning, sublime, superb, symmetrical, taking, well-formed, wonderful.

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I played golf with my daughter on Saturday and took my wife out for dinner. I also performed twice on Sunday with two different ensembles, one where I played guitar and the other I played bass guitar. The ensemble where I play bass is a new group that just got together a couple of weeks ago and each week new musicians (who are excellent) continue to appear out of the woodwork. They all have great voices and sing excellent harmony while two of them can play drums and switch off on guitar. It's incredible because I prayed to God the other day to help me to make a difference with my music ministry, and now I can see the attendance increasing and both congregations appear to be listening more intently to the word of God and to the music which I believe exists to supplement God's word and help lead people to seek God's truth. /Alex

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Hi em, cái ask này làm anh deep mấy lần đây. Đối với anh, quá khứ luôn là vũng lầy anh cứ sơ sẩy mà rơi vào. Nó không khiến anh chìm xuống, anh cũng chẳng thể ngoi lên, buộc anh phải xem lại từng ký ức. Nó kiểu như có sự liên kết vô hình nào đó, ký ức này gợi lên ký ức khác, gương mặt khác, cảm xúc khác. ( 〃．．)

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Cơ mà, không sao cả, anh nhớ lại trong cả năm cuối, ký ức đẹp nhất với anh là lần diễn Xin chào K42 (Đính kèm cái clip ở cuối ask nà).

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Buổi trưa anh diễn đúng cuồng, mấy anh chị em năm cuối ai cũng muốn bùng cháy hết mình. Mà đúng thật, sau đó, mọi người cũng vài lần diễn cùng nhau, chẳng còn đàn ca hát sướng, chẳng có vài lúc sống hết đam mê.

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Đến buổi tối thì mưa 🌧️ (*σᴗσ)(ㅎᴗㅎ )｜‸눈;)

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Anh còn nhớ, lẽ ra tổ chức 1 tuần trước đó nhưng có bão nên dời lại. Ai ngờ hôm đó trời đẹp thì hôm nay lại mưa, thiết bị âm thanh, ánh sáng bị chập. Câu lạc bộ guitar được bảo lên câu giờ. Anh bắt nhịp 1 vòng hợp âm mà anh thấy hay hay, kiểu thế nào ở dưới lại hát luôn bài Có em chờ của Min cũng đúng vòng hợp âm đấy, cũng đúng buổi tối trời mưa và tắt đèn. Anh nổi hết cả da gà em ạ (〃￣ω￣〃✨✨

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Gửi em thêm cái link vô tình được ghi lại - https://www.facebook.com/yunero1206/videos/1302915976485872

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Trở lại hiện tại, anh vẫn ổn, anh vẫn luôn vui vẻ, luôn thoải mái, không màng thế sự. Anh vẫn chưa có ý định làm đúng ngành, cho dù anh vừa lấy chứng chỉ đào tạo luật sư. Anh vẫn ở nhà tiếp tục bán văn phòng phẩm - thiết bị trường học cho gia đình. Anh cứ suy nghĩ có vài năm nữa thì mẹ anh cũng 70 rồi, anh đã quá hối tiếc khi bà anh mất khi anh cứ đinh ninh bà còn khỏe lắm. Ừm, thế đấy, mọi thứ vẫn rất tốt. 🐈

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Thật sự thì có làm đúng ngành hay không cũng không quan trọng lắm, làm đúng việc em thích mới quan trọng. Cố gắng cháy hết mình trong công việc nha em, thử sức hết đi (*´∀`*)

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Chúc em tối cuối tuần vui vẻ em nha. From Phus with love <3

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMkgoIwlGx0

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Practical.
When I was a Network Engineer working on my Cisco Certifications I always thought in terms of how I would utilize the information to design, configure and troubleshoot networks.

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And whenever I practice music on my guitar, my focus is always on the practical application of what I am learning. It does not make any sense to me to learn a scale or chord or song that I will never perform live, with the exception of my classical studies which I do primarily to increase my fine motor skills and because I enjoy playing classical pieces even though I would probably never perform any of the pieces live. Why? Because live I find myself playing Christian music, Country, Blues, Pop and sometimes Jazz (if I am lucky). Where I live there is very little demand for classical music in the venues I work.

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Yes, somewhat "active" but mostly with other very young, unsigned and "underground" artists. I joined MySpace in 2006 with an artist profile for a solo project which I was doing at that time. I wasn't very proficient and my demo recordings weren't too polished but I received plenty of encouragement and I created a second artist profile for a different solo project. Eventually, I created a personal profile at the urging of some users. We started to collaborate on a few things and I continued to practice. Around 2009, I was invited to participate in an international music project and I made a few contributions (lead guitar). More collaborations followed soon after and it lead to ideas for a third project (which replaced my first one because I wasn't pleased with my earliest material). At any rate, I continued using the site until they forced everyone to "upgrade" to MySpace 3.0 which was still in beta and a total clusterf*ck. I tolerated the glitches and pointless changes with the hope that things would improve but unfortunately, the site became unusable and by 2011, most of my friends had deleted their accounts (artist and personal). I removed all of my music and deleted my accounts too. In 2012, a few of them created a private forum for other "underground" artists and I've been there ever since. Most of that private forum's current users are MySpace 1.0 "refugees" too. =D

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Thanks Steph. I appreciate your positive vibe and heartfelt words.
I think I told you some time ago that I perform at Unity church on Sunday mornings, right? Well last week the band at another church quit and I was asked to perform on either guitar or bass. This 6pm mass on Sunday night is a teen mass and they want us to play Christian rock music, which will be great fun. Last week it was just a pianist and me on bass. This week they have a drummer which I am excited about so we will see how that goes.
I've explained to the music director that I want to help the music ministry but I do not want to perform the same old uninteresting and lame Christian music that young people do not want to hear. Since this mass if supposed to be for teens, I am praying that God will intervene and allow us to play some genuine rock music. We shall see.
Here is an example of the music style I would like to perform:
Sidewalk Prophets - You Love Me Anyway
https://youtu.be/y8BBCYFAYRI

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There is no right or wrong answer to this question because each person interprets flirting differently. Personally, I do not believe flirting is appropriate if you are married or in a serious relationship with someone. I understand that people define flirting differently, but I see flirting as a form of foreplay. In other words, many people flirt with each other before they sleep with one another. Is that an appropriate behavior for a married couple to engage in? I think not. If my wife behaved in such a manner we would have a serious discussion concerning the flirting because I would want to understand what her intentions are. Also, I've heard many women claim that their flirting is just innocent fun with no harm intended, right? Well as a man I can say unequivocally that most men get aroused when women flirt with them. So for me, flirting is unacceptable in my marriage. Luckily my wife agrees with me on this topic.

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I've played guitar in many clubs and venues and I am very familiar with flirting and the logical outcome that often results when a man and a woman flirt. That is why I believe that flirting is one of the behaviors that destroys marriages and relationships.

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Any of these bands but not in any particular order. When I play along with recordings at home I imagine myself playing on stage with that band so I try to capture the feeling or groove and interpretation whether on guitar or bass guitar. Each one of the bands listed who provide me with an opportunity to learn while playing music/sounds that I personally enjoy. There are many other bands I could have listed, for example Steely Dan who I love especially their great well formed guitar solos. Unfortunately, the Steely Dan you hear in the studio (which is amazing) is NOT the same band you hear live (which is not impressive).

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1. The Beatles - to learn how to sing 3 part harmony, compose songs and recording techniques. I would not want to perform live with the Beatles, only studio work. However, I would appreciate playing with Paul McCartney's band because they are absolutely amazing live. In fact, I am going to see Paul and his band perform May 28th in Florida. Got floor seating right next the the mixer. Best sound in the house. :) x1,000
2. The Eagles - to sing 4 part harmony
3. James Taylor - for harmony, song writing and performance
4. Bruce Hornsby and the Range - band has great feel and interesting guitar parts
5. Billy Joel - for song writing, performance and because his music is very guitar centric an demanding for the guitarist
6. The Allman Brothers - two drummers, guitar solos in 3rds, slide guitar and just a great kick ass blues sound. What could be better. Check this out!

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The Allman Brothers Band - Statesboro Blues ( At Fillmore East, 1971 )

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https://youtu.be/dWy3Q30Cn2A

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Band.
Music has been my passion and reason for existing since I was first learning how to walk. Many times I feel out of place in this chaotic and brutal world, which is why I keep to myself and only share my feelings and thoughts with my loved ones and of course here, as a virtual entity residing in the ethernet.

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I feel most connected to the universe and my reality when I walk onto the stage, strap on my guitar, turn on my amplifier and then hear those magic words i.e. one...two....one, two, three, four and the music explodes filling my ears with melodious melodies and complex harmonies that consume my mind and thoughts with inexplicable joy and a profound feeling that I am home and that this is where I belong, in this moment and in this time. It is, in fact, when I am completely full of joy and my constant companion has finally escaped for a few hours, and a sense of purpose and peace have settled in and consumed my being. And for a brief moment, I am happy to be alive.

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