Alright. I've had my coffee, Die Hard is on TV, and I wound up getting a B on my term paper for Music History. I had myself a full night's sleep, school is on hold for the next few days, and Thanksgiving is tomorrow. AND my Christmas tree is up. I can finally....dare i say it....relax!
It's been a stressful past few weeks, involving a bizarre love triangle, a multitude of papers, a visit to Pilsen (and getting lost on the way), and Mom cussing out various insurance companies over the phone, but all I can really say is I'm happy I don't have to worry about much for the time being.
'Scuse me, Die Hard is just starting....
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
My Weapons of Choice
First and foremost, I kicked all kinds of ass in my musicale today. I messed up once, compared to the dozens of times I did last night and this morning's practice runs. I was actually listed as the last guitar guy out of five of us to play, go figure. Note: A bunch of other performers played along with us: vocalists and other instrumentalists....So, the pressure level was definitely up. But, I got over it once I took the stage.
Speaking of guitars, I figured I'd show ya'll what I play and cherish dearly.
The Garcia 6-Stringer
Although I use this one for school, this guitar actually belongs to my Mom. It was an engagement gift she got from my Dad way back in the day. It's a Garcia-brand classical guitar; extremely fitting for us. I absolutely love the sound of the nylon strings, especially because I changed them recently. It has such a warm tone.The action on the strings is a bit rough, but I'm used to it. I learned how to play my first riff ("Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison) on this; my uncle Oliver taught me how to play it in the Philippines around 3 in the morning. Despite all these new classical guitars nowadays, with built-in tuners and whatnot, I'd rather stick with this one. Every now and then, Mom plays on it and it just brings be back to the time when she and my uncle used to teach me, and I'll never forget it.
Blue Thunder
The year was 2002, 8th Grade. The year when I started finding some footing and space in my musical niche. I started getting into bands like Green Day, The Offspring, Creed, Chevelle, and New Found Glory. Hell, I even remember looking up Creed's equipment list in their Human Clay CD booklet because I loved their sound. Once I read Fender Guitars, I knew I had to get my hands on one (although I soon found out that Mark Tremonti, their guitarist and my idol back then, used Paul Reed Smith [PRS] axes). Dad brought me to the Guitar Center in Arlington Heights, saying that we would only look, and not buy. Not surprisingly, we walked out of there with my new electric axe, amp, and free case and strings thanks to our haggling skills. This guitar was the reason I was soon in a band with my friends Andy and Johnny (known as The Townhouse Craka; there were a million band member changes, with my other friends Brooks, Danny, Mike, and many many others). I played a few parties, my 8th grade graduation mass, jam sessions, and a block party with this thing. It even survived being dropped from a stand! And it still kicks ass.
Ruby
Oh, Ruby. I love this baby. I got her at the same Guitar Center I bought my Fender. The reason being, I wanted to get an acoustic guitar that had an awesome sound, but looked real unique. I hit the nail right on the head in choosing her. I mostly played this in my church choir; my director, Ms. Hall, also had an Ovation. She pretty much taught me most of the major and minor chords and chord voicings I didn't know at the time, so I owe her a lot. She even ordered me a percussion guitar pick; imagine a hybrid of a regular guitar pick and a small hand-held shaker. This axe was also a huge hit in high school, especially when I was in Theater, doing the plays. Before rehearsals, I would just play a bunch of covers for my friends (I still do) and we would all have a blast. This one has been through open mics, acoustic jam sessions, many church services, and some special concerts here and there. It's also featured in one of my YouTube videos! I love Ruby's warm middle tone range, and her built-in tuner and EQ. It really helps me develop my relative pitch; sometimes I don't use it, and I compare it to see how far off (or right on!) I am.
The 12-String Beast
In the summer of 2003, I was on vacation in the Philippines. I showed off my new guitar skills to my uncle, and he was really excited and proud to hear what I had to play for him. So one day, we went to the mall, and I found this 12-stringer selling for an extremely low price; I forget how much it was in Pesos, but it came out to around $70. It's a 12-string. What more can I say? I knew I had to get it then and there. I fell in love with the sound it made; it's so textured. It's also an electric/acoustic hybrid, much like Ruby, with a built-in EQ. Sadly, it's been mostly collecting dust recently. The strings need some changing, and the bridge needs adjustment. But if I focus more attention on it, I'm sure I can find more ways to utilize this monster.
Ella Jean
I got this beauty as a birthday gift when I turned 19. With Ella Jean being the newest addition to my arsenal, I feel as if her addition brought about a new phase in my guitar playing. I have been experimenting with different tunings, to try and play more complex pieces by Andy McKee, Antoine Dufour, and Craig D'Andrea. Her jumbo body rocks; it gives such a richer sound to any piece. Plus, she's equipped with Elixer strings, some of the best stuff (read: longest lasting, best-sounding) you can get nowadays. Ruby uses them too. Her make & model, the Epiphone EJ-200 has also been used by Elvis, and my idol, Noel Gallagher of Oasis. You can see a bunch of them in the Wonderwall video. She has been featured in my YouTube videos, and I plan to put more up. I also plan on using her at a possible gig I might do at a local Starbucks on December 20th, so I'm really looking forward to that!
Not pictured: my PRS Santana SE. She's currently being used by a good friend of mine, Brooks. He's in a band of his own, and he requested to borrow her to record his band's EP. They're called Black Amber, check them out: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=88150055
Hope you all liked looking at what I play with.
Speaking of guitars, I figured I'd show ya'll what I play and cherish dearly.
The Garcia 6-Stringer
Although I use this one for school, this guitar actually belongs to my Mom. It was an engagement gift she got from my Dad way back in the day. It's a Garcia-brand classical guitar; extremely fitting for us. I absolutely love the sound of the nylon strings, especially because I changed them recently. It has such a warm tone.The action on the strings is a bit rough, but I'm used to it. I learned how to play my first riff ("Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison) on this; my uncle Oliver taught me how to play it in the Philippines around 3 in the morning. Despite all these new classical guitars nowadays, with built-in tuners and whatnot, I'd rather stick with this one. Every now and then, Mom plays on it and it just brings be back to the time when she and my uncle used to teach me, and I'll never forget it.
Blue Thunder
The year was 2002, 8th Grade. The year when I started finding some footing and space in my musical niche. I started getting into bands like Green Day, The Offspring, Creed, Chevelle, and New Found Glory. Hell, I even remember looking up Creed's equipment list in their Human Clay CD booklet because I loved their sound. Once I read Fender Guitars, I knew I had to get my hands on one (although I soon found out that Mark Tremonti, their guitarist and my idol back then, used Paul Reed Smith [PRS] axes). Dad brought me to the Guitar Center in Arlington Heights, saying that we would only look, and not buy. Not surprisingly, we walked out of there with my new electric axe, amp, and free case and strings thanks to our haggling skills. This guitar was the reason I was soon in a band with my friends Andy and Johnny (known as The Townhouse Craka; there were a million band member changes, with my other friends Brooks, Danny, Mike, and many many others). I played a few parties, my 8th grade graduation mass, jam sessions, and a block party with this thing. It even survived being dropped from a stand! And it still kicks ass.
Ruby
Oh, Ruby. I love this baby. I got her at the same Guitar Center I bought my Fender. The reason being, I wanted to get an acoustic guitar that had an awesome sound, but looked real unique. I hit the nail right on the head in choosing her. I mostly played this in my church choir; my director, Ms. Hall, also had an Ovation. She pretty much taught me most of the major and minor chords and chord voicings I didn't know at the time, so I owe her a lot. She even ordered me a percussion guitar pick; imagine a hybrid of a regular guitar pick and a small hand-held shaker. This axe was also a huge hit in high school, especially when I was in Theater, doing the plays. Before rehearsals, I would just play a bunch of covers for my friends (I still do) and we would all have a blast. This one has been through open mics, acoustic jam sessions, many church services, and some special concerts here and there. It's also featured in one of my YouTube videos! I love Ruby's warm middle tone range, and her built-in tuner and EQ. It really helps me develop my relative pitch; sometimes I don't use it, and I compare it to see how far off (or right on!) I am.
The 12-String Beast
In the summer of 2003, I was on vacation in the Philippines. I showed off my new guitar skills to my uncle, and he was really excited and proud to hear what I had to play for him. So one day, we went to the mall, and I found this 12-stringer selling for an extremely low price; I forget how much it was in Pesos, but it came out to around $70. It's a 12-string. What more can I say? I knew I had to get it then and there. I fell in love with the sound it made; it's so textured. It's also an electric/acoustic hybrid, much like Ruby, with a built-in EQ. Sadly, it's been mostly collecting dust recently. The strings need some changing, and the bridge needs adjustment. But if I focus more attention on it, I'm sure I can find more ways to utilize this monster.
Ella Jean
I got this beauty as a birthday gift when I turned 19. With Ella Jean being the newest addition to my arsenal, I feel as if her addition brought about a new phase in my guitar playing. I have been experimenting with different tunings, to try and play more complex pieces by Andy McKee, Antoine Dufour, and Craig D'Andrea. Her jumbo body rocks; it gives such a richer sound to any piece. Plus, she's equipped with Elixer strings, some of the best stuff (read: longest lasting, best-sounding) you can get nowadays. Ruby uses them too. Her make & model, the Epiphone EJ-200 has also been used by Elvis, and my idol, Noel Gallagher of Oasis. You can see a bunch of them in the Wonderwall video. She has been featured in my YouTube videos, and I plan to put more up. I also plan on using her at a possible gig I might do at a local Starbucks on December 20th, so I'm really looking forward to that!
Not pictured: my PRS Santana SE. She's currently being used by a good friend of mine, Brooks. He's in a band of his own, and he requested to borrow her to record his band's EP. They're called Black Amber, check them out: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=88150055
Hope you all liked looking at what I play with.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Christmas List
The cold weather and all my winter gear made me think of some things I would like for Christmas. I'm not asking for a lot this year...I may or may not make any additions to this list, but here's how it stands, in no particular order:
1) Coffee mug, ceramic
2) Wallet
3) Gloves/Glittens
4) "Hopes and Fears" by Keane songbook
5) Button-up, Western-style shirt(s)
6) Zip drive. See a few posts down as to why I would like a new one.
7) Seatbelt belt
8) Money. Mostly for the "Save Shane's External HD Data" fund.
That's all I can really think of. Sorry for the lame content. I'm in class at the moment, and I'm really getting tired from learning about binary trees and their uses in computer science.
1) Coffee mug, ceramic
2) Wallet
3) Gloves/Glittens
4) "Hopes and Fears" by Keane songbook
5) Button-up, Western-style shirt(s)
6) Zip drive. See a few posts down as to why I would like a new one.
7) Seatbelt belt
8) Money. Mostly for the "Save Shane's External HD Data" fund.
That's all I can really think of. Sorry for the lame content. I'm in class at the moment, and I'm really getting tired from learning about binary trees and their uses in computer science.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Thanksgiving Break, Hurry Up and Get Here.
I honestly need a break. The past few weeks have been real hellish, and they show no signs of stopping. Bullets for now, since I have to get working on a few things...
-So a few weeks ago, I dropped off my external hard drive, making it pretty useless. I shipped it in to a place in Texas to recover all my data, and it's costing me over $800 for a total recovery. Not only will I be sacrificing about a million things, but I'm going to be working all Thanksgiving break, including Thanksgiving day to scrounge up enough dough. Don't be like me, and take care of your stuff.
-I have 2 pieces to make perfect by Wednesday for my guitar recital. Memorizing has been no problem, it's all about execution.
-I also have to register for classes on Wednesday, starting at 1PM at the earliest. The recital is at noon. Hopefully, I can book it out of there when I finish, and get all the classes I need and want to take.
-I have to give a short presentation for a paper I wrote for Music History on Thursday. Laaame.
-My final History of Chicago project is due next Monday, and I still haven't visited any cultural centers of interest that I need to visit in order to finish the project.
-I have yet another computer science/java program to write and code for Friday. That evening, there's a guitar ensemble/chorus concert I have to attend and write a review on it for the Tuesday before Thanksgiving for my Music History class.
-I have a Music Lab final the week after Thanksgiving. What the fuck, mate?
So enough about the school-related crap. Other (somewhat) quick thoughts:
-I'm still kinda sad about Kerry Wood's departure from the Cubs. Kevin Gregg will never be able to fill those shoes, but I'm happy for Woody. I want him to get a ring; God only knows when the Cubbies will finally get one. As for Dempster, I hope we re-sign him; we all know what he's now capable of in the starting rotation. Although, the possibility of having Jake Peavy and/or Randy "The Unit" Johnson is pretty exciting.
-Derrick Rose = Chicago sports savior. Seriously, the man is a beast. I read that no other Bull since MJ has scored double digits in his first 10 games. In the majority of the games I've seen, Rose is clearly the best player on the court at any given time.
-My poor, poor Chicago Bears. A 37-3 loss to the Packers?! Where the fuck is the pass rush defense? It's been absent for the majority of the season! I hate you, Bob Babich! As for Orton's less than stellar game, it was only a matter of time when he would run into a roadblock. It just sucks it happened to be against the team I love to hate, other than the Patriots.
-I got a haircut on Friday for this one dance at school (yes, a dance). My hairdresser decided to go nuts and give my hair a messed up kinda look. I actually liked it, and I'm going to try it out tomorrow.
-First snowfall yesterday. How about that?
-So a few weeks ago, I dropped off my external hard drive, making it pretty useless. I shipped it in to a place in Texas to recover all my data, and it's costing me over $800 for a total recovery. Not only will I be sacrificing about a million things, but I'm going to be working all Thanksgiving break, including Thanksgiving day to scrounge up enough dough. Don't be like me, and take care of your stuff.
-I have 2 pieces to make perfect by Wednesday for my guitar recital. Memorizing has been no problem, it's all about execution.
-I also have to register for classes on Wednesday, starting at 1PM at the earliest. The recital is at noon. Hopefully, I can book it out of there when I finish, and get all the classes I need and want to take.
-I have to give a short presentation for a paper I wrote for Music History on Thursday. Laaame.
-My final History of Chicago project is due next Monday, and I still haven't visited any cultural centers of interest that I need to visit in order to finish the project.
-I have yet another computer science/java program to write and code for Friday. That evening, there's a guitar ensemble/chorus concert I have to attend and write a review on it for the Tuesday before Thanksgiving for my Music History class.
-I have a Music Lab final the week after Thanksgiving. What the fuck, mate?
So enough about the school-related crap. Other (somewhat) quick thoughts:
-I'm still kinda sad about Kerry Wood's departure from the Cubs. Kevin Gregg will never be able to fill those shoes, but I'm happy for Woody. I want him to get a ring; God only knows when the Cubbies will finally get one. As for Dempster, I hope we re-sign him; we all know what he's now capable of in the starting rotation. Although, the possibility of having Jake Peavy and/or Randy "The Unit" Johnson is pretty exciting.
-Derrick Rose = Chicago sports savior. Seriously, the man is a beast. I read that no other Bull since MJ has scored double digits in his first 10 games. In the majority of the games I've seen, Rose is clearly the best player on the court at any given time.
-My poor, poor Chicago Bears. A 37-3 loss to the Packers?! Where the fuck is the pass rush defense? It's been absent for the majority of the season! I hate you, Bob Babich! As for Orton's less than stellar game, it was only a matter of time when he would run into a roadblock. It just sucks it happened to be against the team I love to hate, other than the Patriots.
-I got a haircut on Friday for this one dance at school (yes, a dance). My hairdresser decided to go nuts and give my hair a messed up kinda look. I actually liked it, and I'm going to try it out tomorrow.
-First snowfall yesterday. How about that?
Thursday, November 13, 2008
"I'll Become What You Became To Me."
Hope you enjoy this one. This is going to be all for now, since I'm knee-deep in school related crap for the next few days.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The New Kid In Town
A little less than two hours ago, Barack Obama became the next president-elect of the United States.
Because of this, I feel that I am that much more accomplished, and I really look forward to see what this country is capable of doing in the near future.
This election is a ridiculously huge part of our history. I really don't think it's hit me yet, but I'm sure it will. I leave you all with a quote from my good friend Sergio. It's quite indicative of how I'm feeling at the moment:
"Hope is the last thing to die. And tonight, hope lives and shines brighter than ever."
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Note To Self:
Never eat anything at Six Flags. It will poison you. You're better off stuffing yourself beforehand and go on all the coasters.
I don't know what came over me Friday night, but I decided to shell out $13(!!!!!!!) for a gyro and a souvenir pop cup because they ran out of regular ones. The meat wasn't freshly cut from a spit, and the sauce was cold to the point that there was ice in it. And the grease. Oh, the grease. Let's just say I tipped it to the side, and it had the consistency of gravy. I didn't get past three bites, and it pretty much incapacitated me for the majority of the evening. Unfortunately, I wasn't in any shape to ride Raging Bull, but I went on other coasters like Viper and Superman. I still consider those personal victories because I normally wouldn't ever go on one. But man, nothing beats last year when I finally conquered my fears, being forced onto the Raging Bull.....so fucking exhilarating.
Anyway, Fright Fest was still fun. We (meaning Matt, Nadia, Walsh, and myself) rode on a bunch of things, but the spinny teacups was a definite highlight; since it was Fright Fest it was dark, and loud spooky techno music played in the background. I mostly danced.
Speaking of music, I have been listening to really good stuff lately. I started off Friday morning with Ray Charles. In the afternoon, there was Aerosmith, Queen, and Michael Jackson (for Thriller, duh). Going home from Six Flags, we put on The Beatles and Elton John. I must have listened to Rocket Man about a dozen times or so. Then, since I was bored, I learned how to play You Are So Beautiful by Joe Cocker on guitar, fingerstyle. I can't wait to bust this stuff out in the near future.
So Election Day is in two days. I'm going to wake up at the ass crack of dawn, vote, do my school thing, and wait. No matter what the result, I'm pretty sure I'll be doing celebratory (or other just plain) shots with my sister. Get out there and vote people! We're going to be a part of history!
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