201

(8 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Scales matter.  And country bass is kind of like a haku.  You spend a lot of time on V and IV notes, so you have to be able to be creative in that framework.

202

(183 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Seahawks will still be lucky to make the playoffs.  They barely beat Dallas.  Effectively, they can't lose again the entire season.  They've got two games against Arizona coming up, and they need to win both of them, as well as the rematch with the Rams.   They're all out of wiggle room, and aren't looking very good offensively.

203

(20 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Baldguitardude wrote:

I love shopping at mom and pop stores for instruments. So much more personal.

I do, but it's generally because they take much better care of their inventory than the Guitar Center guys do.  I've been in the GC acoustic room and took a guitar off the wall.  The strings were completely corroded, and the neck was warped.  I asked the guy at the counter about it and he said "Oh yeah, we had a humidifier problem in here a couple of weeks back and a bunch of the guitars got really wet...."  Even when that didn't happen, they were poorly tuned and weren't set up at all.

Compare that to the American Music where I usually shop for guitars.  The guy that runs the room is named Johnny.  He's got a son in the Navy, serving on submarines.  Used to be a pretty serious grunge rocker in the 90s'.  I know all of this because he talks to his customers, and he treats every instrument on his wall like it belonged to him, personally.

204

(20 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I don't buy guitars without a consultation.  I'm able to sneak mics and other gear into the house, though, as she doesn't know what it does, and therefore it all looks the same.  big_smile

205

(20 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Yup.  The place has been a financial disaster for a while.  Tons of debt, Bain Capital squeezing it dry...  Honestly, I thought it would be gone by now.  It's too bad, as while I'd never buy a guitar there, I've bought tons of electronics, strings, microphones, and recording gear there.

206

(183 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Packers lost a tough one, but I gotta say... Carolina looks really, really good right now.  They remind me of the Seahawks two years ago.  Ferocious defense and a mobile QB.  I've always been a Cam Newton fan based on nothing other than his size and athleticism, but it looks like he's really turned a corner mentally, and is now thinking like an NFL QB.

I'm overtly aggressive.  That way there is no confusion.  big_smile

208

(18 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I love wine.   There is a price/value break point at about $12 a bottle on the low end where wine gets really crappy, and about $40 a bottle on the high end where wine is less good than what you pay for it.  I've had $700 bottles before.  Tasted much like the $50 bottle.

Anyway, get a decanter, and learn to use it.  They're beautiful, and they make a huge difference in the tastes of reds, particularly big bold reds like cabs and merlots.

Drink a lot of different varieties.  You'll find something you like.

209

(183 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

dino48 wrote:

ouchhhh Seahawks20 sf 3   Tonight     Washington and Stanford. (sat.) Go Stanford!!

Stanford was their usual machine.  Line up and run between the tackles.  Lot of positives from the Huskies, though.  Their defense looked sharp even as they were getting rolled on, and the offense showed it could move the ball on occasion.  The Dawgs are a year or two away from being a Pac-12 contender again, but it's coming.

Seahawks win against the 49ers was good, but the '9ers aren't a good football team. I give it as much credence as I do the Chicago win.

They *should* win in Dallas, then they bye week.

210

(40 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

French press today for the wife.  I'm teaching this week so I'm sucking down the crappy coffee at work.

Life is sometimes unfair.

211

(40 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Roger Guppy wrote:
jerome.oneil wrote:

I would like to note, for the sake of my sanity, that it is "ESPRESSO" not "EXPRESSO."   One is steamed coffee, the other is a magical incantation at Hogwarts.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in this matter.

I am a child of the 60's and I have to say that Cliff Richard's song and film "Expresso Bongo" has led me astray all these years:

http://cdn.discogs.com/8DurjZuZ1vFoHr-F … 5.jpeg.jpg

(Well that is my excuse and I am sticking to it smile )

Roger

I am off to find that album. Right now.  EXPRESSO!

212

(40 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Baldguitardude wrote:

I'm kind of a coffee snob at home. I have an espresso machine, a french press and a lovely little device called the Aeropress which, for $35 will produce the best cup of coffee you've ever made at home. (I actually have two aeropresses and use the second one for making herbal extracts and teas. You can press thyme or rosemary through it and it makes a concentrated water that is fantastic for use in cooking, esp. marinating.)

I'm trying to convince the wife that we aught to trade in the big 'ol drip machine for a big ol' French press.  It's only the two of us in the morning, so no point in taking the time or effort of busting out a 12 cup drip.

If you press thyme and rosemary through a chicken, you'll get an excellent gravy.

213

(183 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

badeye wrote:

My Pats won..   

Heard this on this on the radio this morning...

"What the difference between the  Seahawks and a dollar,

you can get four quarters out of a dollar."....

Thats.... actually kinda funny.  big_smile

I'm going to go drop it on some grieving folks.

214

(40 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I would like to note, for the sake of my sanity, that it is "ESPRESSO" not "EXPRESSO."   One is steamed coffee, the other is a magical incantation at Hogwarts.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in this matter.

215

(183 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Bad weekend overall for Seattle football.  Huskies lost to Oregon (for the 12th consecutive year) sparing me my hangover, and the Seahawks gave up yet another 4th quarter lead to lose to Carolina at home.

That last one tells me that the 'Hawks new defensive coordinator isn't doing his job.   The last play where Carolina's TE, who had been killing them all day, was left undefended in the end zone because Earl Thomas thought he was in one coverage, and Richard Sherman thought he was in a different coverage.  The result is that two 1st team all pros were left looking at each other while the other team spiked the ball.   Same thing happened last week between Thomas and Kam Chancellor.   

That says the coordinator isn't communicating the coverage to the players clearly.

The Michigan - Michigan State game had a spectacular ending.   A bad punt snap gets picked up and run back for a TD, costing the Wolverines the game.  I love it when Harbaugh is on the wrong end of those kinds of plays.  big_smile

216

(183 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Aaaaanddd.  Sarkasian just got fired as head coach at USC.  I'm guessing Haden, the AD there (and the guy that hired him over Ed Ogeron, and Lane Kiffen before him) is probably going to get fired as a result of his abject failure, but that will happen after the season is over.

217

(183 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

dino48 wrote:

Green Bay just won their game. T he Seahawks just lost in overtime too the Bengals in overtime, Looks like all is well in Mr. Rodgers neighborhood. 49ers play tonight. I think Russell is smilling a lot today.

Yep.  That wasn't the "beaten badly" that I expected, but giving up 17 points in the 4th quarter is still getting beaten.  Badly.  The defense has had problems closing.  They did pretty much the same thing at the end of the Superbowl last year.

Anyway, back to my Huskies.  Steve Sarkasian has been indefinitely suspended as the coach of USC.  He has apparently been showing up for work drunk on a regular basis.  The Chris Peterson upgrade is looking better and better.   I always felt Sarkasian ran an undisciplined operation.  Peterson kicked Marcus Peters off the team when he was the best player on their defense for being a disruptive force in the locker room.   That kid was so good he went 18th in the draft, and now starts for the Chiefs.

218

(183 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Doug_Smith wrote:
jerome.oneil wrote:

In much, MUCH better news, my Huskies went down to LA last night and beat USC.  Not bad for 17 point underdogs.  It also validates my position that letting Steve Sarkasian (now forever known as "Lane Kiffen Jr.") go and hiring Chris Peterson was a complete upgrade for the UW.   It's the first time a UW Huskies football team has beaten a ranked opponent on the road in something like a decade.

They get an Oregon team that is on it's heals next Saturday.  If they win that game I may have to miss a few days recovering from my hangover.

Well Jerome if you caught what the Cougars did to the Ducks yesterday...... you ought'a think about re-stocking the bar this week!  I forsee a nasty case of "the Moose Flu" in store for next Monday morning.

Dude!  The Duck's 'Couged it!  That was awesome.


"Moose Flu"; adjective: the general feeling of illness that corresponds with a really late night consuming excessive quantities of distilled or other spirits with groups of jubilant people at the local Moose Lodge or similar venue. Most common after Holiday Weekends or following winning major sporting events, occasionally Concerts, Weddings, and Funerals.

Haha!

"'Coug it"  verb:  The act of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory on a regular basis, in the most absurd ways possible.  So named after the futility of the Washington State University Cougars football team.

219

(183 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

dino48 wrote:
jerome.oneil wrote:

My prediction for Sunday:  Seahawks lose to the Bungles, badly, then make some coaching changes.  Tom Cable (offensive line coach) is gone, and/or Darrell Bevel (offensive coordinator) gets demoted/fired.

I have not seen the seahawks play enough to predict that one.

Pro Football Weekly just ranked their O-line 30th out of 32 teams.   No offensive line means you can't throw down field and make use of your shiny new All World tight end.  It means you can't run because defenses know they don't have to defend against the deep ball.   You're basically left with screens.   The Bengals can score points and even an average defense can stop the Seahawks offense right now.  I'm not optimistic.

In much, MUCH better news, my Huskies went down to LA last night and beat USC.  Not bad for 17 point underdogs.  It also validates my position that letting Steve Sarkasian (now forever known as "Lane Kiffen Jr.") go and hiring Chris Peterson was a complete upgrade for the UW.   It's the first time a UW Huskies football team has beaten a ranked opponent on the road in something like a decade.

They get an Oregon team that is on it's heals next Saturday.  If they win that game I may have to miss a few days recovering from my hangover.

220

(183 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

My prediction for Sunday:  Seahawks lose to the Bungles, badly, then make some coaching changes.  Tom Cable (offensive line coach) is gone, and/or Darrell Bevel (offensive coordinator) gets demoted/fired.

221

(183 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

dino48 wrote:

I wish we could get Mike Holgrram for our coach.

Holmgren is on the radio up here a lot.  I love listening to him.  The sad thing is that he actually wanted the 49ers job, and actively sought it out.

Your owner is the problem.  That dude is a moran.

222

(183 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

The '9ers lost a ton of people.  Crabtree is gone, Gore is gone, Justin Smith is gone, Iupati is gone, Johnathan Martin is gone, Sutka is gone...   And oh, yeah, their head coach, who despite my distaste for the guy, knows how to win football games.

No way does any team replace that kind of exodus and still manage to win.

223

(183 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

The Packers are looking more and more like the team to beat.   Dallas might contend if they can survive until Romo and Dez get back on the roster.

224

(183 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

dino48 wrote:

I agree Arizona most likely will your Seahawks are the only team I can see that could do better.

I'm seriously doubting the Seahawks.  Last night's win was ugly, and they benefited a great deal from a gifted no-call by the ref at the end of the game.  Their offensive line is horrible.  And I mean, terrible horrible.   The defense looked like it has gelled quite nicely again (three points given up over the last 8 quarters of football) but they have to be able to score points, and they can't do that if they have to keep every single offensive player back in pass blocking situations, which is what it looks like right now.

Oh well.  Oregon is still unranked, so it can't be all bad.  smile

225

(183 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Arizona is probably going to win the NFC West, I think.  As long as Carson Palmer doesn't blow out some critical joint or snap his liver in half or something.

In college news, Oregon has fallen out of the top 25 for the first time since 2009.  So I'm going to enjoy this moment for the time being.   Cal is looking really good, which I like to see.  With alumni like Aaron Rodgers, Tony Gonzalez, and Marshawn Lynch, they should have good years occasionally.

Also:  The Bears are not a good football team.  The Seahawks stomping on them didn't convince me their problems are fixed, but I'm hopeful.