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Found this:

http://www.lexpressmada.com/4898/musiqu … -fils.html

Looks like AKO is a luthier in Madagascar.

We're freakin screwed no matter who wins.

Funny. Most of the replies to my posts are very similar to comments posted after the stories about Armstrong in the sporting news media. It seems that no one really cares whether or not Armstrong was doping as it appears that the top 20 riders on the tour have been involved in doping too.

The other replies mirror those on the sporting media in regards to the fact that Armstrong NEVER failed a test. Thus he was either clean or just a damn good doper.

The ICU (International Cycling Union) only pulled Armstrong's wins after the USADA said that they were going to treat Armstrong as a doper and were willing to provide "testimony" from numerous witnesses. One of the funny things about the accusations is that they refused to let Armstrong see the "list" and testimony. As a "private" corporation they don't have to honor the discovery laws nor do they have to give Armstrong a fair shake. I have issues with that as they can target anyone they want, cast aspersions and state they have "witness" statements and then take any actions they deem necessary to punish the athlete.

I think of all the people that Armstrong inspired with his story and his success. I know of a few that began biking due to Armstrong's feats. I know many who support his Livestrong foundation and, like Jerome, am concerned that this action will cause people to NOT donate to the foundation thus preventing those who need the foundation's help, not to have an avenue of relief.

Anyway, thanks for your replies. I am always interested to hear other opinions on matters such as this as I sometimes think I over-react.

NELA, I wish you well. Keep a positive outlook and be involved in your treatment. Ask many questions and expect direct answers. If you are not sure then ask! I hope that every thing turns out well for you and will keep you in my thoughts.

I started on an acoustic. Spent more than a year on the acoustic and then got a cheap electric. I found that there were chords I could do on the electric that I was unable to do on acoustic. Spent the better part of the next year playing the electric (and futzing around with the sound a lot), and a few months ago started grabbing the acoustic more often. I found that the chords I was unable to do earlier I could now do, along with some picking patterns for certain songs.

As far as set-up? i can agree with the statement made previously. Went to a Best Buy and started messing around with a Tele that was set up well. Chord changes were much easier and I seemed to flow better. Went home and did some adjustments to my electric and got the same results. The biggest issue I run in to is that the frets are farther apart on the acoustic and the neck is thinner on the electric. Practicing with the acoustic makes your "reach" better but you have to be aware of the differences when you are going from one guitar to the other. Also, the strings on an electric are not as tight so you need less pressure to fret a note thus they don't abuse your finger tips as much.

Final opinion: Start with the acoustic guitar (well set-up) and then play what you learn on the electric. Try to learn the song acoustically and then you may find it easy to play on the electric.

The Skorps song was great. I have always enjoyed watching/listening to my favorite metal groups play with a symphony. Had a chance to catch Styx with the Cleveland Contemporary Youth Orchestra on TV one day. Those kids were all rocking out and made the concert even funner to watch.

The first band I heard with an orchestra was Metallica. I still play those songs and I imagine that the members of the orchestra loved plaing with them and enjoyed doing something a bit different.

Anyhoo, one band of mine is well known but, to me, did not get enough credit: Collective Soul. The second band was a band from New Orleans called Zebra. Their two most well-known songs got alot of airplay in 1984:

Who's Behind The Door: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe7iYcIwArw

Tell Me What You Want: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAl1nrRq … re=related

I like rock, the heavier the better but I truly enjoy groups that have the sound that Zebra had.

He was the big dude in "the Green Mile".

Another update:

I had an appointment with an "Agreed Medical Examiner" today. An AME is a doctor that both sides of a workman's comp claim (in California) agree upon to evaluate the WC patient.

He told me in no uncertain terms that the damage to my back was too extensive for me to go back to work as a firefighter/paramedic. The back will never be fixed even with surgery and he stated that I could not continue with the repetitive bending and lifting that is such a big part of my job, (Lifting patients, rescue equipment, hose, etc...).

I knew it was coming but it is still a bummer. I spent years trying to get onto a fire department and now I have been told I can never again work the job I love so much.

I must admit to a certain degree of depression right now. Not the put-a-gun-in-my-mouth depression but I kinda want to go away for awhile and just be alone with my bad news. When I got home I played for a few hours to take my mind off of it but when I put the guitar down it comes back.

Now I must start looking for jobs to pay the bills. I will receive a pension of about 50% of my highest years salary tax-free but I will have to find a job that offers health insurance (for my family) and pays enough to pay the bills but I cannot even look for a job until the decision is final and workers comp and my employer agree upon the decision. That will take a few months so I am reduced to worrying about my future while the system grinds slowly along.

Fortunately I have expected this to happen and I am a planner. I have some options and I have already spoken to one prospective employer. He said when I am ready he will try to have a position for me. I am also going to try to get into teaching at the local community college. If I can no longer be a firefighter/medic I can train others to do it.

i hope everything turns out ok for your friend.

I am a victim of the Newspaper misquote/twist the story to make it more dramatic. A few years ago I was on a call to the northern area of our fire district which was used extensively by ohv enthusiasts. Two guys on ATV's had been run off a trail by some girls coming off a side trail. the guys went through the wire fencing dividing the ohv area from the freeway. One of the guys caught a wire on his larynx, crushing it. when we got on scene he, needless to say, having some difficulty breathing. I could not use the Ambu Bag ( used to force air into the lungs for thiose who cannot breathe on their own) and there were no landmarks or structure to do a needle crichothyrotomy (make a hole in the larynx so we can use the ambu bag to force air into his lungs). We don't have trauma centers where I work and the nearest one, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, is 20-45 mins away by air ambulance. The ambulance got on-scene and I told them to transport the patient to the nearest hospital NOW!

The patient survived after receiving a surgical crich within minutes of arrival. The local rag picked up on the story and, in their zeal to hail the MD at the hospital ( who is a friend of mine and told me what the patient really said) they "quoted" the patient, who was a Spanish speaker only, as saying, "The paramedic said he could not do anything for me and I was going to die."

When I read that I went ballistic. One of the things I train new medics is to never tell a critical patient he is going to die unless he is and refuses our treatment. That kid needed more than I could do and I sent him to get the help he needed but I never said what he quoted.

It still bothers me today and I never trusted anything that paper printed after. That was my first hand experience of the press twisting words to get a "better" story. The problem was they effed with my reputation. Grrrrr.........

Any song can be played with barre chords. If you know the chords and know your fingering for the barre's then you can play it. Guaranteed.

The fret an open E leaving your index finger free. slide to the next fret and barre the first fret with your index. Now you have an F. Now slide the whole thing down in fret and you have an Fm. One more fret and you have G. A is with the index finger across the fifth fret and so on. The flat chords are in between.

Next fret an open Am leaving your index finger free. Now slide one fret over and barre the first fret. Now you have Bm. slide one fret over and remove index finger leaving ring and pinky on strings and hyou have a Cm. Two frets over is a Dm.

B is kinda hard but if you mute the last string you can pull it off. Just play the 2-6th strings. Slide one fret over and you have C. Two more frets over (5th fret) you get D and so on. Flat chord voicings are in between.

Now all you have to learn is going from the Majors to the minors and that is all just finger placement. It is easy going from G to C and A to D as all you do is lay your ring finger across the proper strings, pick up the middle and pinky finger and you have now done the chord change.

Just takes some practice but, for me, changing barre chords is easier that open chords as you often only have to slide up and down the fret board with minor position changes of your fingers. I can play most songs either open or barre and I find if I want a deeper tone I use the barre chords.