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Braggadocio
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In an attempt to balance the books, one out of every ten Art's Bar & Grill posts must be unrelentingly upbeat to compensate for the previous ten entries of what Lynn aptly described as the "complaint blog." Certainly I've spent a surplus of time grousing about past thwarted attempts at self-actualization. But that's only one side of the coin. Here a few things I like about me!
1. My hair: My dad had been slick bald for years by the time he was my age. My mom's brother, Uncle Gene, was famously shiny-bald by the time he was 25. As a matter of fact every male on either side of my family was combing over well before my age except for two: my dad's brother, and my great-grandfather on my mom's side. It is thanks either to the recessive gene found in these men, or a dominant gene found in the UPS man, that I still have most of my hair at 35, against all odds. If it isn't freshly-washed with a dose of extra-body conditioner it can look a little thin in front, but thanks to Alberto V05 ($.75 a bottle) it looks as thick and buoyant as ever. I silently cheer each morning when I face myself in the bathroom mirror and see my hair in Robert Smith-like disarray. I fretted about this a lot when trying to make it as a young rocker, and have sent away for HRS brochures and visited a Bosley transplant clinic once due to my hair paranoia. But it's stuck with me to 35 years. May we have 35 more.
2. I'm good at most everything*: except math, physically strenuous activities and repair work. However when you have the rest of the pie, who needs that crap?! It's really true. I write decently (not as well as the people behind the links at left, but good enough), I can play guitar (a lot of people are vastly better than me, but possibly even more are vastly worse), I can write songs (they may be heavily derivative but they exist), I'm slowly becoming better as a "producer," and I'm told I have a great speaking voice and I think I make a great talk show host. Plus, though I'm rusty now, I was known as a good cartoonist in my youth. It's true, even the great Jimmy Page is not as well-rounded as I am. That the rest of the world overlooks this inherent goodness is just a sign of their dim-wittedness and pettiness. I know they all secretly agree with and envy me.
3. My guitars: being great myself, it is only natural that my possessions are also great*. Many people aspire for years to own a single Gibson Les Paul Standard guitar. I own not one, but two! And a Gibson SG, as well as...is it one Telecaster? No, it is TWO! Two Telecasters! Truly great. And an acoustic. I also have more than one amplifier to go with them. I'm sure I'll add more over the years. I truly feel like a rock star, surveying my guitars.
4. My CD collection: Violent Femmes, Stravinsky, Stanley Brothers, I have them all and everything inbetween. Plus the key output of the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and of course everything by Led Zeppelin. It's all there. Sigh...
5. I've ran out of steam. Can't think of anything else I really like about me. Maybe something else will occur later. If you'd like to point out some aspect of how good I am that I've overlooked, feel free to tap the "Comment" link below.
*Some of this is written tongue-in-cheek. |
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Posted by Art | 10:36 PM EST |
4 comments
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Good post.
I'm proud of my guitar, too. Custom-shop 5-string Gibson Les Paul bass.
-Modulus Q5 built in September 2002
-Bubinga top with alder body and clear finish
-35" scale, 24 fret (3 octaves!) carbon fiber neck
-Composite fingerboard
-All black hardware
-Bartolini PU's
-Bartolini electronics with active bass, mid, and treble controls (NTMB)
View her in all her beauty:
http://www.balun.net/images/moduluscollage01.jpg
I've been a big Zeppelin fan for 18 years now, and I just don't think it'll ever stop. If you haven't begun the pilgrimage of Zep worship, you must begin ASAP. Also on DimeADozen.org there's currently an amazing-quality soundboard of a 4/27/69 Fillmore West show, as well as the diamond boot, "Blueberry Hill" (L.A. Forum Sept. `70). I've added an Earl's Court, two Copenhagen `79 shows, Blueberry Hill, SF 4/27/69 and Memphis `70 to my collection just lately. You can't go wrong with anything from `70.